


The Saga Begins

by ArchosauriansWorld



Series: Giants!Verse -The Saga Begins [1]
Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: Angst, Comedy, Drama, F/M, Fluff, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:41:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 58,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27814735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArchosauriansWorld/pseuds/ArchosauriansWorld
Summary: When Queen Elsa has a chance encounter with a dangerous animal on Arendelle's lands, she unveils a realm of magic and creatures thought to be extinct. However this magic, and those who wield it, triggers dangers on a scale that no one in the kingdom has experienced before.
Relationships: Elsa (Disney)/Original Male Character(s)
Series: Giants!Verse -The Saga Begins [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2035231
Comments: 8
Kudos: 12





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to my friend WintermoonQueen, without her this story of mine wouldn't have seen the light of day. I highly recommend checking out her stories on here as well.

Run.

Every bone in his body told him to run.  
  


As he raced through the darkened forest, he could hear the shouting of soldiers, and the barking of the dogs that tracked his every step. If he slowed down now, he'd be caught, and he knew what punishment would be awaiting him once he was returned to that dreaded kingdom; death.  
  


Running from them, was running from death; a fate he'd seen many others like him succumb to, so he kept running. He couldn't let the dogs catch up, once they got a hold of him either they'd tear him apart, or the king would.  
  


However, luck was on his side, a bright flash of light illuminated the forest, followed by the sound of rolling thunder signaled the arrival of an oncoming storm. Pretty soon it would start to rain, slowly wiping out his scent and making it impossible for the dogs to follow him. Once they'd lost him, he'd finally be free.  
  


As soon as the first droplets fell into his hair, a small smile crossed his face. He could practically taste the freedom as he kept running. Leaping over a stream and hunkering down behind a large bush, he waited to see if he would need to keep running. The faint yellow of lanterns and the sounds of his pursuers signaled the arrival of three men, accompanied by a couple of large, vicious looking dogs.  
  


For what seemed like hours, he waited as the dogs sniffed and moved about the opposite bank searching for his now faded scent. One of them gave a soft whine as it scoured the bank as its companion eyed the opposite side. He froze as he watched the dog clumsily leap onto the opposing back, where his scent was stronger. A soft growl escaped it as it turned its head to face him. Wasting no time, he continued to race through the forest, the dog not too far behind him. The shouting of men and splashing of water could only be vaguely heard over the now pouring rain.

Within moments he could feel the dog's breath at his heels, he knew he wouldn't be able to outrun the canine. Quickly, he turned, taking the dog by surprise and making it slide on the muddy ground. A small smile crossed his face as he heard the canine's yelp of surprise. However he too skid just a bit in an attempt to stop himself from careening into a large rock wall, glancing behind him, he watched as the dog shook its pelt before charging after him. This was his only chance of escape.  
  


Biting his lip he began to climb, however, his poor grip on the slippery rocks certainly hindered his movements. Not even a few feet above the ground he felt a searing pain in his leg as the dog clamped down, its teeth sinking into his skin. As he was tugged down, he could feel his grip slipping, a thought passed through his mind; should he give up? Should he take his punishment, even if it was death? No, no he couldn't. He'd come too far to merely give up now.  
  


With one quick jerk of his leg, he managed to kick the dog in the snout, making it start to loosen its grip. The sound of tearing fabric was soon followed by a thunk on the muddy forest floor. Glancing down, he was quick to try to clamber back up the rock, if he was out of the dog's reach, he'd be safe. As he kept climbing, he could see the faint glimmer of the lanterns that his pursuers held getting brighter and brighter through the trees. Panic flared through him as his attempts became more and more frantic, it would be bad luck if he lost his grip now.  
  


Getting up to a decently sized ledge, he was able to finally relax a bit. Glancing back down he saw as the men and other dog caught up, looking up the rock face at him. "There he is!" one shouted, "Fire!" the sound of metal hitting stone made him jump in shock as the arrow lodged itself into the rock beside him. Looking around he found a gap in the rock, big enough for him to be out of sight, and safe from the soldier's arrows. Without a second glance he squeezed himself inside, once safe he let out a soft sigh, before looking around. Further down the small tunnel was a faint blue glow.  
  


Heading towards the light, he shielded his eyes as it got brighter and brighter. When his eyes adjusted he found himself surrounded by beautiful blue gems, never before had he seen something so beautiful in his life. However, exhaustion soon enveloped him as the pain from his wound soon kicked in. Leaning against the crystal he let his eyes close.  
  


The echoing sound of water dripping on rocks further down the cave, awoke him several hours later. As he got up, he could feel the stiffness in his bones, especially near his ankle. Looking down he could see the large, red mark on his lower leg from where the dog had bitten him the night prior. Despite the pain he still urged himself to stand. For all he knew, the soldiers from the night before could still be at the entrance he entered. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he limped onward, hoping to find another exit.  
  


After nearly another hour of traversing through the darkness, the smell of fresh air lured him closer, urging him to come closer to the pale light that started to teasingly dance at the cave walls. A small smile crossed his face as he continued, before having to shield his eyes from the almost blinding light. As soon as he stepped out the sight before him made his breath catch in his throat; beautiful, untainted wilderness. After staring at the gorgeous landscape before him he started to scale his way down.  
  
He would keep trekking this way, until he found a place to call his own.


	2. Chapter 2

"Anna?" Elsa called. She'd been wandering the forest for around an hour now, not entirely sure where she was - her sister had taken this game a little too far. "Anna this isn't funny! You can't just run off this far into the woods like that!"

Elsa bit her lip and sighed. Her shoulders slumped, aching from keeping her back straight for hours on end. Just to keep up appearances. It was exhausting to say the least. Upon noticing a small clearing near the edge of the woods she moved to investigate - had Anna gone over here? There certainly was a fair amount of places for her to hide. Her shoulders slumped again after no sign of her sister, and she sat on a flat, yet leveled rock to rest her feet. She closed her eyes and sighed, taking in the fresh scent of the firs; if she had a choice she could spend hours out here alone.   
  


Elsa jolted at the sound of brush moving behind her -  _ something  _ was nearby. A small shiver raced up her spine, prompting her to sit up straighter, be more alert. Her wide blue eyes scanned the area, but when she found nothing, she relaxed again, releasing a small breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

"It's alright," she murmured to herself. "Just the wind." She then nervously chewed her lip, she had to find a way back to Arendelle soon.

  
Elsa jumped to her feet when she heard what sounded like someone stepping on a pine cone from behind her, but closer. She held her arms up, fingers fanned out at the direction of a possible threat. A deep frown crossed her face. "Who's there?" she growled, feeling tendrils of ice on the tips of her fingers. "Anna, if that's you, this isn't funny."   
  
Like a bolt of lightning a large cat leapt from the bushes, a quarter ton of killer instinct ready to be put into action. She’d be lucky to escape with her life.   
  


Elsa whirled on her toes as the predator lunged from the bushes. A surprised gasp escaped her lips as a sharp blast of frost shot in the animal's direction. With her free hand she raised a wall of icicles from the ground. A spiky fortress of ice, risen to protect herself from the beast.

The great cat snarled in annoyance as the frost hit it square on the muzzle. With a low growl it started to prowl around the large structure she'd created before momentarily pausing, slight confusion adorning its face

"Stay away!" she shouted, blasting another wave of icy spikes at the feline as it prowled around her. She clenched her teeth and furrowed her brows in concentration. If this cat got the opening it needed, there'd be little she could do, no amount of ice or snow in the world would be able to save her. She eyed the great predator before her, she'd never seen any cat like this before, even in the castle's library, the long, curved saber-like teeth, muscular build, it looked almost like a lynx crossed with a bear. Maybe she could use what little knowledge she had on those two animals to her advantage.

It watched as she eyed it, trying to figure out what it was and how to go on the offense against it. It seemed the cat was almost amused as it paced to a less defended side of her little ice fort.

The cat lunged forward, teeth and claws bared. Instinctively Elsa created more spikes in an attempt to defend herself from the oncoming attack. A loud roar split the air as the spikes pierced the animal's hide. She watched as it lost balance and landed on the ground with a heavy thud. She watched, uncertain of what it would do next.

It steadied himself and rose to its paws. With a mere glance back the cat hurriedly limped away, the large wounds in its left side staining the rest of its brown and gray pelt. As it left, a trail of crimson slowly dripped onto the grass and dirt in its wake.

Shocked, Elsa watched the animal retreat and eyed the blood trail for a few moments. Curiosity swept over her once more, prompting her to follow the trail, she wanted to know what exactly attacked her. A deep frown soon etched onto her face. Her heart dropped when she caught a glimpse of the large cave between the surrounding foliage. With the amount of blood the animal was losing, it wouldn't be long before it left this world.

She paused at the cave's entrance, taking in a deep breath. Frost lingered on her fingertips, ready to use her magic if need be, but only for defense. Taking a step forward she looked inside, jumping slightly when she felt her foot hit something. Looking around, she saw the entrance was littered with quite a few bones, reindeer, boar, and even moose, whatever this beast was, it certainly was powerful.   
  
Elsa delved further into the cave, eyeing each and every little thing that she came across. Surprisingly along the cave walls were several crudely made torches that lit the main hallway, illuminating what appeared to be the illustration of what appeared to be the same creature that attacked her lunging after some sort of deer. Looking around she saw more art along the cavern’s walls, most being of local animals and plants, while some seemed to be of more dramatic scenes, all involving the same cat-like animal.    
  
She paused at a fork deeper into the cave, glancing down to make sure she was still following the trail of blood. However from there on, the cave was dark down both ways. Using her magic she was able to catch a glimpse of the crimson that stained the rocky floor and continued deeper.   
  
A light further down the tunnel made her pause for just a brief moment before silently making her way forward, the sight before her astonished her. The great cat was laying there in a pool of its own blood, weakly it looked over at her before slumping over, its body smoothly changing from beast to man.

Elsa gasped upon witnessing what had happened in front of her, rushing to his side as he collapsed. Her heart hammered in her chest as she turned him over to inspect his wounds. Gashes crossed his chest and upper left arm, caking his tan skin in a thick layer of blood. The queen shook her head, murmuring, "What have I done?" She had to rectify this. She had to bring him back to Arendelle and have him treated. It was because of her someone got hurt,  _ again _ . With shaking hands she froze over his wounds and conjured a way to carry him back to Arendelle.


	3. Chapter 3

Within minutes of getting back Elsa had the man in the castle's infirmary. A tall, wiry figure entered the room, upon hearing his footsteps Elsa turned to face him, "Dr. Noctus.."

"Your Majesty," he said with a small bow before going to the injured man's side, "What happened here?"

"I-I don't know," Elsa lied. "I was taking a stroll and I came across him. He's hurt badly. It looks like he was attacked by something."

"Well, luckily these wounds don't look  _ too  _ deep, but.. they're deep enough that they'll scar," Noctus said, turning to Elsa.

"I'll get to work immediately, I brought some supplies which should suffice. I will say you did a marvelous job on sealing his wounds with your powers Your Majesty, otherwise he'd likely be dead by now.."

As she listened, Elsa couldn't take her eyes off of the shapeshifter. He was alive and had a high chance of surviving, but she also knew she was the reason he was in such a critical condition.

She wrapped her arms around herself. Why had he attacked her? What could he have gained? Where was he from? She needed him to survive in order to receive such answers. Finally, she turned to the doctor.

"Thank you," she said. Her eyes darted back to the man. "Please, do what you can."

Noctus nodded in return. "I shall do my best. The good thing is that he's lost so much blood he likely won't feel much if anything at all while I'm patching him up," he said as he turned to pull some supplies out of his case.

Elsa gave a small nod and turned to leave him to his work. However she paused in the doorway.

"Please inform me once he has woken, I'd like to speak with him," she said as she looked over her shoulder.

Looking back, he gave a smile. "Of course Your Majesty. It may be a few hours until he's conscious again, if not tomorrow."

Elsa nodded and silently made her way out, shutting the door behind her. She closed her eyes and sighed, resting her back against the wall. A few moments later she retired to her private chambers to rest.

\---   
  
A few hours later, Elsa was pacing the expanse of her quarters, waiting to hear from Noctus. A small knock caught her attention, looking back she heard the doctor's voice from the other side of the door.

"Your Majesty?"

Elsa halted her steps and turned toward the door, "Come in."

Noctus entered the room, "Well, he'll likely be bed-bound for the next several weeks but I expect him to make a full recovery. I'd recommend keeping him hydrated for the next week or so, he lost a fair amount of blood. There's also a low chance of his stitches accidentally opening if he moves too much, so there's that to keep an eye on as well."

Elsa listened intently and when he was finished, she gave a small nod. Though she wrung her hands and chewed on her bottom lip. The Queen sighed in relief and nodded again. "Thank you," she said, a small smile gracing her features. "Is that all?"

Noctus paused, "Well, I did notice some... intriguing things about your guest. It seems this isn't the first time he's been in this type of situation. His entire abdomen is well... for a lack of better words, covered in older scars, most are old and obviously done by the claws of some sort of animal. However he also has some scars that were done by bullets. Again, they're fairly old, but I'd keep an eye out, if there were attempts on his life out near where you found him, they may follow him here."

Elsa frowned at this. She should have expected as much when she brought him back to Arendelle. Obviously he possessed some sort of magic that allowed him to shapeshift, and Elsa knew best how magic always comes with a price. "Very well," she said with a sigh. Her composure fell with her weariness. "I'll increase the guards at each post and inform the general to take precautions."

Noctus gave a small nod. "Alright then, you look like you've had a long day, perhaps you should get some rest," he said with a small chuckle before turning to leave. "Have a good day Your Majesty, and if anything happens with him, please let me know."

Elsa nodded. "Thank you doctor," she said as she showed him out. Watching him leave for a brief moment before deciding to head back to the infirmary to check on the shapeshifter.

Upon entering she could tell he was still unconscious, however his skin had already regained some color and his breathing had become more stable. Noctus had been able to clean the blood from around his wounds, which despite being stitched up gave the area a slight pink tinge to the surrounding skin. However the myriad of scars that adorned his abdomen were almost pale, a stark contrast against his olive skin.

The queen stood by his bedside and observed him for a few moments. The wounds she had inflicted on him seemed to glare at her, forcing her to shift her gaze to the floor. To her it didn't matter that it was in self defense, she still  _ hurt  _ him. Her powers were and always will be dangerous. She wondered if she would forgive herself once he awoke.

A small grumble escaped his lips as he started to stir. Slowly his eyes opened before he attempted to sit up, however as soon as he put pressure against his arm, a sharp snarl of pain escaped his lips. Despite this he still managed to sit up, winded from the ordeal he then looked around the room before setting his gaze on Elsa. His gaze wasn't cold, it was something much more  _ primal _ . "Where the hell am I," he growled.

Elsa started when he began to stir. She lifted her hands as if to steady him, but didn't touch him. "In Arendelle," she answered, her voice surprisingly calm. "You need to relax, you're hurt. If you move too much you may open your stitches," she urged.

He rolled his eyes, "I've had worse.." he growled before glaring back at her, "Why do you care"

Elsa frowned and pursed her lips. "I'm not allowed to care about the well-being of others?"

His eyes narrowed, pupils turning to slits. "Why would you? I attacked you after all, why not finish me when you had the chance?"

She lowered her arms. Her eyes met his, unwavering. "And what would I gain from killing you?"

"A sabertooth skin rug perhaps?"

Elsa crossed her arms and raised a brow, hardly amused. "Hm, I'm starting to think my garden needs a nice sabertooth ice statue. Don't you think?"

He rolled his eyes, unamused by her comment. "Be glad your cryomancy caught me off guard."

"Cryomancy?" she repeated. Elsa then shook her head and took a step closer to the bed. "And your attack caught me off guard."

A small snort escaped him, "That was the idea.. you take prey by surprise and they don't know what hit them. If you're lucky you can hide the body before scavengers come prowling around."

Elsa wrinkled her nose. "You were going to  _ eat  _ me?"

"I view humans as a last resort. Too bitter. Besides, never had the chance and never will. I've heard the stories of what people do to 'problem animals', and it never ends well."

"Regardless," she sighed, massaging her temple to fend of an oncoming headache. "You're here because I don't kill, much less  _ want  _ to harm a creature, and seeing as it's  _ my  _ fault you almost died, you're staying in Arendelle until you heal enough that the doctor feels comfortable in releasing you."

He rolled his eyes and gave a small snort of irritation before looking over to the window. From here, it was easy to tell how small the village was. Had he passed through here before? If he had, it would've been because he was just passing through.

Elsa shifted on her feet uncomfortably at his silence. The snort was the only sound she could go off of that he had heard. Yet, she didn't trust him to stay bedridden. The queen had to bet the moment she walked out, he would be gone by morning. "Is that understood?" she asked, fixing him with a hard glare; as if daring him to defy her.

He looked back, obviously pissed, "Whatever you say blondie," he grumbled before looking back out. He knew in his current state he wouldn't be able to make an escape, but perhaps within the week he could sneak back out to the wild. After all, he'd been able to escape from Dira, a kingdom at least twice as large as here, how hard could it be?

Elsa's eyebrow twitched, her mouth opening and closing as if to retort, but the words were lost on the tip of her tongue. She could have sworn she saw red in that moment. " _ Blondie _ ?" She sputtered, clearly offended. Her blue eyes flashed, following his gaze. " _ Don't  _ call me that," she growled. "And don't even think about any escape attempts, I have guards posted all over the castle. Inside  _ and  _ out."

He didn't say anything, but merely looked back at her. If looks could kill, she would've been dead. At least he knew something that made her tick, if need be he could use that to his advantage later on.

Elsa took in a deep breath to compose herself. Breathe in. Out. Again. It was merely a moment before she could look at the situation more objectively. "I have a couple questions to ask you." She finally said.

He gave an annoyed sigh. "What," he responded with a low growl

The queen ignored his temper and went straight to the point. "Who  _ are  _ you?"

His eyes narrowed at her, what game was she playing? He looked her up and down, "What's it to you?"

Elsa rolled her eyes at his response. He was proving to be stubborn as ever. She didn't answer until she pulled up a chair and seated herself, crossing her legs. "As Queen it is protocol to know about those in her kingdom," she responded, unfazed by the hint of impatience in his voice. Elsa sighed. "I don't want to treat you as a prisoner. You're my guest and under my care. If you wish, for every answer you provide me, you may ask a question of your own."

His green eyes flashed with caution at the mention of the term 'Queen', but after a quick glance around the room, he was slightly relieved to see there were no weapons in reach of her, then again given she was a cryomancer she could create one with a quick motion of her fingers, or just blast him outright. However she seemed calm enough, at least calm enough to give simple information to. "Fine, My name is Rhett."


	4. Chapter 4

Elsa blinked, surprised by his compliance, but her expression remained passive. "Rhett.." she repeated with a nod, her palms rested on her lap. "I'm Queen Elsa of Arendelle."

She paused before asking the next question. “Where are you from? The forest?”

Rhett's nose crinkled a bit, the royal title made sense, no sensible person would be wearing bright blue in the middle of the forest. Then again, with her cryomancy, she really didn't have much to fear. Her ability could be used as an easy defence against most enemies.

"I guess you could say that. I've lived out there for almost 15 years now," he answered. A hint of confusion appeared on his face, "How the hell did you go under Drakkar's radar? Especially since you're a queen."

Fifteen years in the forest and no one in Arendelle had spotted a shapeshifter? It was peculiar, to say the least. However, with said shapeshifting, and the pelt of the... whatever he could turn into, it would be fairly easy for him to disappear into the surrounding foliage.

At his question, Elsa furrowed her brows. “Drakkar?” she asked and shook her head. “I’m afraid I haven’t a clue as to whom or what you’re talking about.”

Rhett gave a small snort, "He's the king of Dira, a kingdom North of here. Any place there are free shapeshifters or mages, he takes over. Usually killing or enslaving any of them he finds. When I lived there he took over a small handful of kingdoms, those unlucky enough were brought back to Dira and given public executions," he said before his eyes narrowed slightly, "Given you're the Queen of this place, that's likely what would happen to you if he ever took Arendelle over." 

Elsa stiffened. Her once passive expression transitioned to shock then horror. She averted her gaze before she stood from her seat. The queen swept over to the window, overlooking the North Mountain and what was beyond. Her fingers pressed into the windowsill with such force that they turned white. A thin line of frost scattered beneath her hands. 

“Why?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. She trembled at the thought of the possibility of taking Arendelle to war, let alone a siege. Her control was slipping. Ice steadily expanded along the walls, escaping her notice. 

A small frown spread across his face as he watched the ice creep around the room. "Because. In his eyes, we're monsters. And he's going to make it certain that every single shapeshifter or mage is either dead or enslaved to 'protect' his people... I've got the scars to prove it", he said. "No one is safe from him. Man, woman... child.. they're all objects in his eyes. Just things that can be replaced as easily as lost."

Elsa sighed and paced back to her chair, practically dropping her weary body into it as all formality and royal etiquette left her with this new information. “It wouldn’t be the first time someone thought so,” she sighed, holding her forehead in her palms when she hunched over. Despite her kingdom’s acceptance and her own conquered demons, deep down Elsa knew she would always be a monster. She wouldn’t be surprised if Rhett thought the same of her, after what had happened. 

“If he does come to Arendelle and takes over.. he would only want me?” 

A small sigh escaped Rhett's lips, "I know the feeling," he said before looking out over the kingdom. "At least it seems your people have accepted what you are. Hell, they should be proud. Someone like you could snuff out an entire army if you wanted, let alone a kingdom." 

Her question prompted him to turn back to her. "Perhaps. If I'm gone before then. But seeing how few interactions I've had with people in my time here, it's highly unlikely he'll come here. I'll just have to not shift until I'm back out in the wild just in case."

"Almost. Not all," she corrected, averting her gaze down to her hands. The frost seemed to have receded for now, to her relief. "Acceptance is harder than you would think and I would never use my powers to harm a living soul... intentionally."

"If anything, acceptance is harder than you think," Rhett said moving a bit so he could get a better look at her. The slight movement of the receding frost briefly caught his attention before his gaze snapped to her. "Well... there are times where there is no other choice but to kill. It's a part of life, we all are going to die someday, we just don't know when."

Elsa's eyes narrowed. A deep frown etched itself on her face. "Don't act as if you know me," she nearly growled. "Don't try and school me on acceptance, you have no idea what I've been through." 

Rhett glared back, obviously unintimidated by her. "Funny, I was going to say the same thing," he said, a small rumble in his voice.

"Try being whipped and beaten almost every single day for almost a decade, and having to survive for another decade and a half on your own. No friends. No family. Being literally hunted down because you're different and having to be constantly on the move just so you won't be captured or worse killed, all because you're different. Spending your life wondering when you'll get to eat next, and always putting your life on the line when you do so. Having to go hungry almost every week in the winter because there's no food," he continued, never leaving his eyes from the woman in front of him.

On a given, normal circumstance, Elsa would empathize with him. Unfortunately for Rhett, today was not that day. Instead, the queen pursed her lips and crossed her arms. She met his glare, "And being isolated for over a decade, confined to your room and only being allowed to leave its walls when you have tutoring sessions that never stop reminding you that one day you'll be Queen isn't anywhere near the same? Having grown up a shut-in because your parents were afraid of what you are and what you're capable of. What about fearing those same powers you were cursed with and loathed yourself every day because of them? Wishing you were dead, yet you have responsibilities and a sister you can't leave behind? I spent a night as a prisoner in my own kingdom because my subjects wanted me dead and grew up in a room that might as well had been a prison, so don't lay there and tell me that I have no idea what it's like!" 

For once, Rhett was silent. He had to admit that did sound pretty bad, however in honesty he was perhaps a bit jealous. She had gotten to at least know her parents. 'Boar headed', he thought before starting to attempt to turn into his side, in hopes she'd shut up and go away. 

Elsa watched him in silence, face red and appearing out of breath. Finally, she all but collapsed in her chair and buried her face in her palms. "I'm sorry," she finally said, referring to his wounds.

He merely shrugged. "I've had worse," he said oddly nonchalantly.

She frowned, not believing him. "You could have died!"

"I could have died a  _ lot _ of times. I've fought bears, hunted elk, I've even been bitten by an  _ asp  _ before," he said, still not looking at her.

She paused, confused. "An asp? What's that?"

Rhett gave a small sigh and rolled his eyes, "Only the most venomous snake in the region."

"Snakes? Arendelle doesn't have any snakes, it's too cold," she responded.

"You'd be surprised, there are even a couple lizards in this region. Some types of snakes actually winter together in a hibernaculum. Most however stick to those fumaroles to the northwest of here."

Elsa blinked, "I'm sorry, I'm confused. I've never even heard of these creatures. At least, the books in the library don't mention them."

Rhett raised an eyebrow, not bothering to look at her, "Really? Perhaps its other names of viper or adder is what you use around here?"

Her eyes widened in understanding, "Oh. A viper, then."

Rhett gave a small huff, "Honestly I'm surprised I'm still alive given all that's out there. Bears, wolves, wolverines, hunters... crazy ice mages..."

Elsa raised a brow, "Crazy ice mages?"

He glanced over his shoulder with a small smirk. "Well... there was that one... man I forgot what her name was..."

Elsa stood. "Well," she started, brushing herself off. "When you remember, please do inform me. In the meantime, you are to stay put until your wounds are healed enough and the doctor is satisfied." She responded with a small smile, it seemed he was slowly starting to come around.

He gave a small chuckle.. and immediately regretted it as a surge of pain jolted through him. "Al-alright."

Satisfied, Elsa gave a small nod. When she exited, a thick sheet of ice covered the windows; eliminating any attempt at escape.

Rhett gave a soft sigh and closed his eyes. At the moment it didn't matter that she sealed the window shut. He knew the sooner he got rested and healed, the sooner he could plan and make an escape.


	5. Chapter 5

A week later, Elsa found herself being escorted to Rhett's chambers. She thanked the guards and dismissed them. She stared at the door for a moment before she took in a breath and knocked, as a courtesy, before entering the room.

There was the sound of shuffling papers. "Erm, come in."

She entered and shut the door behind her. "How are you holding up?" she asked.

Rhett gently rubbed the left side of his neck, "Doin my best.. despite being practically cooped up in here..."

She observed him for a moment, then offered a gentle smile. "Well, the doctor said you're allowed to roam the castle now. Just as long as you're not doing anything extraneous."

There was a small glint in his green eyes, "Oh thank the stars..." he sighed. "Finally I can at least do something."

"But," Elsa continued, raising a brow at him. She didn't entirely trust him yet to not try and make an escape. "You're required to have an escort at all times."

Almost immediately his shoulders drooped. "What am I? A child?", he partially growled out of annoyance.

The queen tilted her chin and straightened her back. "No. But I don't trust you to take care of yourself."

Rhett blinked in surprise. "Take care of myself? Until now I've lived on my own, out in the wild, limited supplies and having no one to depend on but myself. If I couldn't take care of myself, I'd be dead." He said, obviously a bit miffed about what was transpiring.

“That’s not what I meant,” Elsa sighed. She felt a headache forming from this conversation alone. “I can’t trust you to not run around and re-open those wounds.”

Rhett looked at her before glancing down at his wounds then back up at her, "I think I'll be fine, thanks for your concern.. I guess"

"You're still going to have an escort, Queen's orders," Elsa said.

Rhett rolled his eyes before giving her a look and moving away from the bed towards a desk with a few papers and pencils he had asked for prior in the week. Already he had produced a few sketches, most of local fauna and flora, all eerily similar to what was on the walls of the cave.

Curious, Elsa shifted a little closer when a couple sketches caught her eye. She noticed they were similar to what was on the walls of the cave she found him in. "What are those?" she asked.

He looked at her a bit confused for a second before looking over at the sketches. "Oh, these? They're just a few sketches I whipped up out of boredom a couple days ago, nothing too special."

"They're really nice.. may I?"

Rhett blinked in surprise, he'd never had anyone ask to see his art before. "Uhh.... sure..", he said handing her an illustration.

Elsa smiled and took the sketch. She'd always had an interest in the arts, but her finesse was toward architecture; where she could shine in mathematics. Anna was more of the sketch artist out of the two of them. "Is this a lynx? It's spot on," she commented.

"Yep," he said with a small smile. He was glad she actually seemed to  _ like  _ it. His brows furrowed a bit, "Y'know.. you surprise me.."

Elsa handed the picture back to him and raised a brow, "Surprise you? What do you mean?"

"Well.. for starters you actually took me in after injuring me, and now you actually like my art?" He said with a small smile, "You easily could have left me to die you know."

Elsa stepped back and avoided his gaze. "I could have, but I didn't. I'm not that kind of person, especially if someone was hurt because of me."

A small laugh escaped him as he put the picture back, "The world needs more people like you.. I'm just going to say that."

Elsa watched him in silence for a minute, chewing on her bottom lip as she had no clue what to say to that. Then, she sighed and shook her head. “Trust me, you don’t want more people like me.”

Rhett stood up and looked down at her for a moment, a small smile crossed his face. "What? Kind? Caring? A ruler who is at peace with her people? ..a mage?"

She didn’t mirror his smile. Rather, her face scrunched even further. He didn’t know. Of course he didn’t, he wasn’t there during her isolation or the Eternal Winter. He wouldn’t understand; no one ever will. “A cursed woman,” she corrected him. “A monster. A witch. A sorceress. Shall I go on?” 

"If there's one thing I've learned in my time in the wild it's this; monster is a relative term, to a mouse, a cat is a monster. Everyone else is just used to being the cat. As far as I know, we're the only ones outside of Dira of our kinds. You're not a monster, you're just a mage, just like I'm merely a shapeshifter. So what if people think you're a monster, you can go two paths with that title, a. The badger path and still be yourself and not give a rat's ass on what they think, or b. Truly act like what they believe you to be." 

Elsa pursed her lips. She knew he had a point but... “It’s not that simple. I wish it was. I wish I could just not care what everyone thinks, but I’m not just a woman, I’m a Queen. Judgement comes from everywhere. If I could, I would rid myself of these powers. Just to be normal. Just so no one would have to fear me. Fear what I could do.” 

Rhett's smile faded slightly, "When the whole world thinks you should be locked up or killed.. it's rough.. to say the least, I've been there, trust me. If anything I had become the apex predator of the forests here, hell I had people blaming missing livestock on me and I've already have multiple attempts on my life, all because they were afraid. Fear controls people, it's in our nature, it blinds judgement." 

Elsa shook her head with a sigh. Her shoulders slumped. Knowing her emotions were getting the better of her, she closed her eyes and composed herself again, straightening her back. “Sorry, I don’t know what came over me... are you hungry? I can send a servant over with food and drink.” 

His smile returned, "No, it's fine. Sometimes you just need to vent about things, I get it. But I could eat... just please let it not be soup..? I've had enough of that to last me a lifetime.."

Elsa nodded, a small teasing smile crossing her face. "Even if it's soup with meat in it?"

Rhett shuddered. "Please. No," he said with a small smile on his face in return.

"So just meat then? What kind?" she asked.

"Anything will do, pork, beef.. venison.." he started, "Reindeer's the most common game out there, every now and again I'll bag a boar or if I'm really lucky, an elk"

Elsa started toward the door. "I'll inform the kitchen to prepare an entrée of many different kinds of meat then."

He visibly perked up. "Now that is music to my ears," he said, a small grin growing on his face.

Elsa gave him a small smile before making her exit. She made her way down to the kitchens and informed the chef that her guest required a meal. He took the order and informed her he would send up a servant with the food once it was ready.

A few minutes later, Rhett was still in his room, running his fingers through his hair in an attempt to get rid of his bedhead. 

About a half hour later, there came a knock at the door. Though Elsa has been adamant about Anna staying away from this particular room, she was still curious on who resided inside. What better time than to tell the servant the princess herself will bring his food instead? Anna grinned as she waited.

Rhett's eyes narrowed, just judging from the smell, it wasn't Elsa. He'd have to be cautious around whoever it was at the door. 

The handle turned and Rhett stood in front of her. He certainly was taller than Kristoff, however he had a slimmer build. His green eyes scanned Anna up and down warily.

Anna gave him a big grin. “So you’re the stranger Elsa has been so secretive about!” The princess exclaimed. She held her hand out to shake while balancing the tray on her other hand. “I’m Princess Anna Of Arendelle, but you can just call me Anna!” 

"Erm... hi.." He said before hesitantly shaking her hand. "I'm Rhett, it's nice to meet you," he responded with a small smile.  _ 'So this is who she was yelling for back in the forest.'  _

“Anyway,” Anna smiled and lifted the tray. “I have food for youuu! And it smells delicious!” She all but skipped into the room and placed it on the nightstand. 

"Thanks," Rhett said with a slight hint of annoyance, Anna sure was energetic.. perhaps a bit too energetic for him. Plus the fact she just practically barged into his room, first impressions? He wasn't liking it.

“So,” Anna paused and turned, sitting on the bed. A sly smile curled on her lips as she assessed him. “Well, so far you seem a good match for my sister. At least, well.. you have the  _ looks _ .”

If anything her smile made Rhett even more nervous. He stopped dead in his tracks, "Excuse me..? What are you talking about?"

Anna paused and pursed her lips. She then stood and rounded on him with a serious “don’t lie to me” face. “Are you courting my sister?”

He blinked in surprise, taken completely off guard by the question. "What?? No! I'm merely here after she found me injured in the woods. Once the doctor says I'm good to go, I'm off."

Anna stared at him for a few more moments. After determining that he was telling the truth, she relaxed. “Okay, then why is she being so secretive about all.. this? You? She wouldn’t even tell me and she promised she would tell me anything!”

Rhett merely shrugged and put the tray over at his desk, moving whatever artworks were in the way, just so they didn't get damaged. "You're asking the wrong person about this, Princess."

She placed her hands on her hip. “That’s Anna to you, mister. And anyway, why would she keep you here and just not let you go once you were able to get up and walk?" 

He gave a small snort of annoyance, she was really starting to piss him off. All these questions, all he wanted was to eat in peace and quiet, sure the things here were nice but he never had anyone invade his personal space in quite a long time. "Wounds from bear claws don't heal that quickly", he half-growled back. "I've still got stitches, and the Queen and the doctor don't want me reopening them until they're good and sealed." 

Anna opened her mouth, but closed it and nodded. Sensing his impatience, she fidgeted instead and bit her lip. When she got up the courage to ask another question, she was interrupted by a knock at the door. 

“Rhett?” Elsa called. She’d returned an hour or so later to make sure he’d received his meal. Anna’s eyes widened when she heard her sister and looked to Rhett, pleading with him to help her hide.

Rhett's gaze seemed to brighten a bit. 'Thank the stars,' he thought as he looked towards the door, motioning for Anna to hide under the bed. Hopefully she was small enough to fit. 

Once he thought Anna was well hidden enough he got up and strode over to the door and opened it, "What's up?"

Elsa blinked in surprise at his casualty toward her, but welcomed it with a tiny smile. It was different, to say the least. “I trust you received your meal?”

Anna watched the exchange from under the bed

"Yeah, just got it. Was just about to take a bite before you knocked, but I figured it'd be rude to answer the door with a face full of meat," he responded. "Um.. would you mind if I took a look around later? Don't get me wrong, drawing things is fun but I would like to see what else I can do while I'm here"

“Oh, yes of course. My apologies, I didn’t think..” she trailed off and bit her lip. That was just it, she didn’t think. Being cooped up in her own room for so long, it never bothered her when she spent hours and days in the same place. She didn’t stop to think that it might drive someone else insane. “Please, go ahead. Though, the escort still stands. But... I might allow you to decide on who accompanies you.” 

"Oh, sure. I'll let you know when I guess," he said with a slight shrug. Back in the forest he'd take several hours of each day patrolling his territory, making sure those pesky wolves didn't try to steal any prey, here he felt like he was cooped up, sure he knew why but it still wasn't fun being quarantined in a small room 24/7. 

Elsa nodded in response. She lingered in the doorway for a minute before asking one last thing: “Before I leave you to your meal, do you need anything else?” 

"Not that I can think of off the top of my head right now, but thanks anyway." Rhett leaned against the doorway, he was starting to get rather hungry, could they continue this later? 

“Alright well, enjoy your meal,” she said and turned to make her leave.

Rhett watched her go for a few moments before heading back inside and closing the door behind him. "Alright, she's gone," he said before sitting back down at the desk and taking a bite. 

Anna crawled out from underneath the bed, letting out a loud sigh of relief. "Whew, thanks! I mean, have you seen my sister when she has a temper? It's.. yeesh!" 

He rolled his eyes, "Yeah, she's boar-headed alright.." he grumbled in return.

Anna raised a brow at his description of her older sister, but didn't question it. "So, what'cha eating?" 

Rhett blinked at her before swallowing, "Uhhh... meat? You should know, you're the one who brought it to me."

Anna shrugged. "I took it from the servant, didn't check what was under the covered tray."

"Ah, well, it tastes like beef," he said before taking another bite. "Although it would be nice to have some venison, it's been a while since I had some"

"Do you want me to go ask the chef for some?"

"No, this'll be fine. But thank you though, next time perhaps," he said before looking over at her. "Now, were you going to say something before the Queen knocked on the door?"

Anna nodded. Then, at his question, she observed him for a moment before crossing her arms; a deep frown etched on her face. "I'll have you know that Elsa is very important to me. If you do anything to hurt her, and I mean anything, you'll have to answer to me. Got it?"

Rhett gave her a silent glare. ' _ If you only knew.. _ ' he thought before taking another bite. Sure she did seem a bit more muscular than her older sister, but if a fight did occur, he could easily use that energy she had against her.

Anna's frown deepened when his only response was a glare. Was that supposed to intimidate her? She's fought a pack of wolves, a giant snow monster, and a traitorous prince for god sakes! " _ Got it _ ?" she repeated with a growl. 

"I think you should leave," Rhett growled back, a small rumble emanating from his throat. For a moment it seemed his pupils turned to slits. Her little growl didn't scare him at all, hell he'd fought off packs of wolves, brown bears, hunters, so far the only person or thing that had even managed to injure him so badly was the Queen herself.

Anna stubbornly crossed her arms. "Not until you answer me." 

He eyes narrowed. "Alright," he half-snarled before turning back to what few bites he had left on his plate. 

Anna nodded, finally satisfied with his answer and made her way toward the door. She paused and gave him a wide smile over her shoulder. "Enjoy your meal!" she exclaimed before making her exit. 


	6. Chapter 6

About an hour later, Elsa returned with a royal guard in tow and gave a light knock.

Rhett looked up and gave a small sniff and sighed in relief before opening the door. "Yeah?"

"I trust your meal was satisfactory?" Elsa asked, hands folded at her skirts and back straightened. The guard loomed behind her.

"Yeah, probably the best I've had in.. years," he said before leaning against the door, not taking his emerald eyes off of the guard. ' _ How many people are in this place?' _

Elsa smiled, "That's good, I was worried it wouldn't meet your usual standards or be too much."

A small smile tugged at the corner of his face. "Well.. it certainly surpassed it. That was probably my first cooked meal in... years..." he said glancing down at her.

As a silence passed between them, she glanced between Rhett and the guard behind her. "I wasn't sure if you wanted to get out, so I brought you an escort. Though, you have the freedom to choose someone else. I want you to feel comfortable, at the least."

There was suddenly a sheepish glint in his eyes at her words, "Oh.. well.. I was kind of thinking of  _ you  _ being my escort..."

Elsa looked up at him, surprised for a moment, but masked it just as quickly. “Very well,” she said and glanced back at the guard to dismiss him. He gave her a worried look and voiced his concerns about her spending time alone with a man she barely knew, despite him being her guest. It wasn’t until Elsa reminded him that she could take care of herself that he followed her orders and left them alone.

The shapeshifter seemed to calm a bit as he watched the guard go, "Er.. Yeah, let me get my supplies.." he said before heading back in, still keeping himself fully in Elsa's view.

The queen turned back to Rhett. “Do you need a few minutes to get ready?"

Upon collecting his items he walked back out to her. "Ready when you are."

Elsa nodded and turned, but paused for a moment. “Where would you like to go?”

Rhett merely shrugged, "It doesn't really matter to me."

Elsa turned and started to walk. Considering how she’s found him deep in the forest, she figured he would enjoy the gardens—at the least. After leading him through a couple corridors, she opened the door leading outside for him. 

Even when behind her, every movement or new room that came into view he glanced at, even in castles he had to be wary, he didn't want to be suddenly attacked, he was wide open, an easy target. For all he knew Elsa could be luring him into a trap.

Rhett glanced at her hesitantly before heading out into the gardens. There was almost a wave of scents that flooded his nose, flowers of all sorts, trees, he could even catch the faint scent of fowl. "Holy hell...." 

Elsa watched him assess the gardens for a few minutes before speaking up, "I figured after being cooped up inside for a little over a week that you would appreciate the only area of the castle that might remind you of home." 

He looked around, almost speechless, "Wow... this place.. it's gorgeous! Are some of these flowers foreign?" He asked, looking at some wisteria.

"Yes," she replied. "My sister loves collecting flowers. Sometimes when foreign dignitaries visit, they give us a plant from their homeland. Anna usually takes them and plants them here. 

Rhett glanced back at her, "Well, they've certainly got some really pretty plants where they're from. My territory doesn't have even half the beauty of some of these," he said before looking up at one of the trees. He seemed to examine the tree for a bit, as if the gears in his head were turning.

Elsa stepped closer to him, assessing the tree that had captured his attention. "I'm not sure what type of trees and plants are typically in your homeland, but this tree can be found in Arendelle by the water. It's a weeping willow, one of my favorites," she explained with a small smile. "They'll be the first to grow in damaged areas and aid the ecosystem to re-grow around them." 

"My patch of turf is pretty dry. Mostly just pines and spruce, the occasional birch and elm. But nothing like this.." He said before walking under the tree's canopy. "Some conifers actually need forest fires to germinate, although the majority of the ones where I'm from are likely hundreds of years old. If not thousands." 

Rhett stopped underneath one branch, eyeing it. Could it hold him? 

Elsa folded her hands in front of her, staring up at the tree that both shaded and comforted her in her years of isolation. "Well, it would make sense. Forest fires in the north are quite rare... harsh winters on the other hand.." 

A soft sigh escaped his lips, "Yeah... they don't get harsher than out in the wild.. There have been multiple winters where I thought I wasn't coming out alive. Simply because of the conditions."

With a soft spring of his muscles, the shapeshifter clambered onto a lower branch before moving to the next one. The branches of this tree were different than the ones back home, but at least he could navigate here.

Elsa averted her gaze down to her hands, a small frown marring her visage. Could he have been affected by her loss of control those years ago when she afflicted Arendelle with her Eternal Winter? If so, make that two times she'd almost killed him. She sighed in response, "I can imagine..." 

"Although we did have a surprise blizzard a couple years ago in the summer.. to say the least, it was interesting but helpful. Found a young caribou stuck in the snow during that time," he said before giving a small laugh, "And they say there's no such thing as a free meal" 

Elsa was silent for a while, lost in her inner turmoil. So, her Eternal Winter had made it out that far. How unfortunate. As Rhett had mentioned earlier, it was a wonder how such a man like Drakkar had not noticed her and Arendelle yet. 

A soft sigh came from above her, Rhett had managed to get to a branch around 10 feet above her to look around the garden. He couldn't get over how gorgeous the place was, it was certainly more colorful than back home, and the willow tree gave it a bit more character. If only he could sneak out one night and just come here for a bit..

In the midst of her thoughts, a loud gasp came from beside her, jarring her back to reality.

"Elsa! There's a strange man in the tree!"

The queen jumped, startled. She placed a hand over her chest to calm her rapid heartbeat. "Olaf?" she gasped. "Were you there the whole time?" The snowman didn't answer, instead he stared up at the willow tree with wide, worried eyes.

Rhett jolted in surprise at the sudden yell and lost balance, almost falling off the branch he was on, luckily for him, he wrapped both arms around the branch just in time to keep him from falling to the ground. He shot a sharp glare over towards her before regaining his footing and climbed back onto the branch before blinking in surprise at what was standing next to Elsa. ' _ Is that.... a living snowman... _ ?' 

"Oh, he doesn't have very good balance. Mr. Copper man, why are you climbing Elsa's favorite tree?"

Elsa shot Rhett an apologetic look.

"It's called, getting a better vantage point, you can see more from up here," he growled at the snowman before shooting a look of confusion and shock towards Elsa. Almost as if it was a plea for help.

Elsa pursed her lips. "Olaf, this is Rhett. Rhett, this is Olaf... a snowman I brought to life."

Olaf gave him a wide, toothy smile and waved. "Hi Mr. Rhett! I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs!"

His eyes widened at her. ' _ Brought to life....?' _ He'd heard stories of how powerful mages were, but powerful enough to bring a simple snowman to life? 

"Erm... hi.." Rhett said looking over at the snowman below him, unsure of what to make of him. 

Olaf continued to smile, waving a twig furiously up at the tree. "Can you teach me how to climb too?!" 

Elsa stepped over to Olaf and urged him onward with a hand. "Maybe later, why don't you go and see what Anna's up to?" The walking and talking snowman bounced energetically and bounded off with an exclaimed "okay!". 

Rhett gave a sigh of relief before climbing down the tree. "Olaf, huh?" he asked as he walked over. 

"Yeah," she replied sheepishly. 

He's uh.... energetic, hmm..?" he said looking at her. 

"Yeah," she responded as she watched the snowman leave. "Sorry about that, he's uh...quite curious." 

"Well... you know what they say about curiosity.." he muttered before sitting down in the grass and giving a deep sigh, "Man it feels good to be outside again.." 

Elsa straightened herself and assessed the peacefulness of the gardens. "I'm sorry you've been cooped up," she apologized. 

Rhett merely shrugged. "Eh.. at least I have a bit more freedom," he said merely looking around. 

"I suppose," she responded and moved to sit on a nearby bench. 

She caught his eye as she passed him, "It's so peaceful out here, just like at home.. just a few birds singing, the sound of the wind going through the trees..." 

Elsa gave a small smile. "It is, I used to come here a lot when I was younger." 

A small smile crossed his face, "Yeah, I'm not one for the hustle and bustle of kingdoms and towns.. wind up having to run too much."

"Regardless, it's usually pretty crowded. I typically stay in the castle, my schedule doesn't allow me to get out much anyway."

A small smirk spread across his face, "You work too much, ya know that?" 

Elsa frowned at him. "It comes with ruling a kingdom, unfortunately." 

Rhett merely shrugged and lied down. "Y'know.. I wonder what your over protective sister would think if she found you up at 3 AM and having had no sleep for the past couple days."

Elsa raised a brow at him. "How do you know I've been up that late? And, Anna isn't overprotective... she just cares." 

"Let's just say the first few nights I spent here were pretty quiet.. I could hear you walking from your office to various other parts of the castle at around that time."

She sighed as she realized she’d forgotten about his heightened senses. “You caught me. I was writing proposals until late night. I wasn’t able to sleep until I knew they were up to my standards.”

The shapeshifter stretched a bit on the grass, before wincing a bit. "Proposals huh? For what? If you don't mind revealing of course."

Elsa raised her eyes to stare up at the sky, finding comfort in the drifting clouds above them. “I can’t reveal them all as they are confidential to Arendelle, but proposals such as setting up more schools in Arendelle, funding the libraries...”

She then paused, scrunching her eyebrows. “You met Anna already? How?”

"She brought me my food earlier today. Other than the basic introductions and what not she went off," he lied. Something told him she'd be in much greater trouble if he told her the whole story... 

“Anna brought your meal instead of a servant?” Elsa sighed and shook her head. “I’m sorry, I told her to leave you alone for now. I wanted to properly introduce you.”

"Eh, it's fine," he merely said, "Shit happens. Then again I wasn't really doing anything, just finishing up a sketch was all. She's... got good intentions.." 

“She usually does. Doesn’t mean her methods are always... the best.” 

He gave a small chuckle, "So I guess she doesn't know what happened in the forest, huh?" 

Elsa's eyes widened before she looked away. "No, I haven't told her." 

"Let's hope it stays that way. I'd rather not be turned into a rug.." 

"Or an ice statue?" she asked with a tiny smirk. 

He chuckled back, "Or that.."

A small sigh escaped his lips as he looked up at the clouds, "Y'know, it's probably cooler down here on the grass than on that bench."

"As... what do you call it? An ice mage? I can cool myself down at will, but if that's your way of inviting me to sit next to you..." she responded with a raised brow. 

He merely shrugged, "Fair, guess I'm still getting used to being in the presence of a mage, but it's up to you, I mean there's plenty of grass to lay down on."

The queen thought for a moment. Grass stains wouldn’t be an issue on the gown she was currently wearing, considering it’s made of ice. Making a decision, she rose from the bench and settled herself down beside him, using her left hand to hold her body up as she lounged. 

“You’re right,” she hummed, closing her eyes. “It is cooler down here.”

Her movement actually surprised the shapeshifter, never in a million years did he expect her to actually join him on the ground. 

A small smirk rose on his face, "Told ya," he said before shutting his eyes.

Elsa hummed again in response and closed her eyes, taking in the scents and sounds of the castle’s garden; something she hadn’t done in years. Actually, she couldn’t remember the last time she relaxed like this.

"I don't think the castle in Dira has a garden... then again if it did, Drakkar probably turned it into something to hold more of us," Rhett muttered. 

Elsa looked down over to him, brows furrowed. “I don’t understand how a ruler could be so cruel to his people... it doesn’t matter if they’re different! They’re still  _ people _ .” 

"Not in his eyes. Hell he's made up several myths about people like us as well..." he grumbled. "And who knows how many people he's gotten to believe his shit.." 

"They're still his people if they're under his rule. He has a duty to take care of them.." 

"The only ones he cares about are those not like us, those born... 'normal'" 

Elsa shifted a bit, "I'm sorry you had to deal with a ruler like him." 

"Yeah..." Rhett said, growing oddly silent.

Elsa sat up and curled her knees to her chest. She was unsure of what else to say. The conversation grew more serious than she expected. 

"Anyway... is there anyone else I should expect at my door every now and again?" he chuckled

Elsa blinked and looked over at him. "Just myself, occasionally. Though, I can't control what my sister does."

"So... What's it like... to have a sister? Or... a family even.." he asked looking back at her.

"A family?" Elsa turned her head away and stared out toward the vast valley of mountains. The sun's bright light cast over the tops of the pine trees was a calming sight. "I... that's a good question," she replied and bit her lip. "I only remember moments of a normal family when I was a child, before I was locked away for thirteen years. I didn't really spend time with Anna during those years... "

"Well... even then, you have one now... don't you..?" he asked, almost hesitantly. "If you don't want to talk about it that's fine, I don't want to intrude on anything personal.." 

She wrapped her arms around her legs and pulled them closer. “My parents died when I was eighteen, near the end of my isolation. At that point, I was resigned to my life being the way it was even once I became Queen,” she continued, unsure why she was opening up to someone she’d only known for a little over a week. Perhaps because Anna was the only person she could turn to and she didn’t want to burden her. 

“Until a couple years ago, I hadn’t even spoken to Anna since I was nine. So it’s safe to say that I’m only just beginning to know what a family feels like. Though, Anna is quite occupied with Kristoff. Especially since they’ve been courting. She’ll have her own family someday.” 

Rhett glanced over at her briefly in silence, he didn't have a family, to him they were something he hadn't experienced, likely would never experience one ever anyway. 

"What about you? Certainly some Prince or monarch will try to court you.. If that hasn't already started"

"Me?" Elsa's eyes widened and she glanced at him. "No I.. well I've had some proposals from a couple countries, but nothing worth responding to. Besides, as a royal, it's impossible to marry for love. But.. I'm glad my sister will be able to."

He frowned, "That's stupid if you ask me, you're the Queen of this place, you should be able to marry who you please..."

Elsa shook her head and gave a sad smile. "Being Queen only restricts my life more. Growing up, my ladies in waiting and the council would tell me how one day when I'm Queen that my main duty will be to provide heirs for Arendelle. Political affairs are... complicated. Unfortunately, for a woman, it's all about finding an exceptional husband and baring his children. It's just more complicated for me because of my powers," she sighed and pursed her lips. "For most of my life, I've resigned myself to not marry." 

Rhett looked away, his slight frown still on his face, "That sounds... yikes... guess the life of a royal isn't as simple as I had thought. Didn't seem that Drakkar was in much of a rush for marriage." 

Elsa shrugged, "He's a man in a patriarchal world.  _ He  _ can do what he wants... or in that case who he wants when he wants." 

He shuddered, "I wouldn't be surprised if that was the real reason why he took over those kingdoms, because the royals there said 'no' to him." 

“It’s possible,” she sighed. “Men have started wars over sillier circumstances, though.”

Rhett rolled his eyes, "Humans... always fighting things.. nature, other humans... themselves..." 

“Regardless,” she started. “I’m content to live my life out alone once my sister gets married. It’s something I’m used to. What about you?”

He gave a shrug before putting his hands behind his head. "Similar to you I guess. Never really had a chance to get intimate with someone. If I had stayed in Dira, I probably would've been forced into something however..."

Elsa shifted to lounge onto the grass on her stomach, absently picking at the small weeds that had begun to grow. “I’m sorry,” she replied. “If you’d like to consider Arendelle a second home, you’re always welcome here. You’ll be free to make your own decisions as a citizen. And, in the future, if you find someone to settle down with, you won’t have to worry about anyone else forcing you into anything. It’s the least I could do.”

Rhett looked back at her and shifted onto his stomach, eyeing her for a moment. "Er.. thanks.. but I don't know... what if my little... 'secret' gets out..? I'd have to leave in order to not drag attention to anyone here." 

Elsa glanced at him, then sighed. "I highly doubt this Drakkar hasn't heard of me after... my mishap a couple years ago. Anything you do would pale in comparison to what he's planning now; likely the destruction of my kingdom, as you say. So, I wouldn't worry about revealing yourself." 

"Even then. If he comes, he'll likely recognize me... I used to be one of his personal slaves. In short, if he does visit, we're both doomed..."

Elsa's nostrils flared. "If he wants a fight, then so be it. He won't take Arendelle from me without a fight."

"It'll be short lived sadly.. he's got the largest army in the region," he sighed "Unless you were to stop them in their tracks before they got here, he'd steamroll Arendelle, and you with it"

"Has he ever marched on a kingdom where its own Queen froze the lands in Summer on a whim for days?"

Rhett shrugged, "I don't know, but here's what I do know, if Drakkar  _ has  _ heard of you by now, he's likely already planning something."


	7. Chapter 7

Rhett glanced over at her, "Anyway... sorry," he said with a small sigh before going silent.

Elsa pursed her lips. “I’m sorry. I was just pushing your buttons.”

He raised a quizzical eyebrow, "You... _ want  _ me to get mad?"

“No,” she giggled a little. “It’s another way of saying I was just teasing you. Though, you and I both know I can handle you when you’re mad.”

He blinked before giving her a look, "I was in full hunt mode, had I not been hit by your ice, we wouldn't be here," he partially growled.

Elsa raised a brow, " _ We  _ wouldn't be here? Are you saying my aim was just by luck?"

"I'd still be in the forest, and you'd likely be  _ dead. _ "

Elsa frowned. "It wouldn't be the first time someone has tried to kill me."

"This may sound rude but.. I'm not surprised."

Elsa shrugged. "I may be a royal, but my life isn't as cozy as you think. I fight my own battles."

'I wonder if Drakkar had any battles of his own..' he thought before something caught his attention, and he sat up and sniffed the air.

Elsa furrowed her brows. "What is it?"

"Is my nose stuffed up or... do I smell reindeer..?"

"Oh, you mean Sven?"

"...Sven...?"

"Anna's boyfriend; Kristoff, Sven is his reindeer companion."

"That's an... odd.. relationship... I assume this 'Kristoff' guy is a royal as well?"

"No, actually. He's a commoner. An ice harvester," she replied.

"Ice harvester huh...? Y'know I think they pass pretty close to my territory border.. always wondered why I smelled loads of humans around there, but they never strayed  _ into  _ it.." he said glancing back at her.

"They do their jobs. Gather ice to sell so we can carry out trades with our allies and receive foreign goods that can't be grown or gathered here. They likely don't wander into your territory because they don't have a need to. They're out that far to earn money to feed their families, nothing else."

Rhett gave a small nod, "Well it's reassuring to know they aren't poachers.."

Elsa shook her head. “Kristoff couldn’t harm a hair on an animal’s head.”

"Can't say the same for others sadly.." he replied lifting up one side of his shirt to absentmindedly look at a small mark in his left flank.

Elsa frowned then averted her gaze, trying not to catch sight of his bandages. “I’m sorry.”

"For?" he asked, somewhat confused.

“For your new scars. And lack of control over poachers in the forests.”

He looked back down at his scars for a brief moment, "Eh, the scars are no big deal, and trust me, poachers are hard to take care of, you can ban it but they'll always find a way around it."

She went silent at his response, chewing her bottom lip. Finally, she said, “You can’t just brush it off like that.”

He looked back at her, bewildered, "What do you mean?"

"I'm the reason you're here, you can't just brush off the fact that I almost killed you."

"True, but you're also trying to make sure I'm better when you could have easily just finished me off." 

Frost accumulated under her hands, crusting the grass in a sheer coat. "I told you, that's not me. I don't want to kill anyone, I never want to. I almost  _ have _ and it's a terrible feeling."

Rhett gave a small sigh. "That's the point I'm trying to make. Back in that cave I was certain you'd just kill me. Had we been in different places, I would've just killed you without a second thought. So what if I'm going to have scars? The important thing is that I'm alive.."

"Perhaps, but that won't stop me from feeling guilty," she said.

Rhett gave a small frown, and glanced away for a brief moment, "Er.. apologies if I dragged you away from your duties."

Elsa looked back over at him, then shook her head. "I suspected you would ask me, so I cleared away most of my schedule for today."

A small smile spread back on his face, "Oh, alright then.. Er... you have any idea of what else to do then?"

“Well...” she started. 

“YOU COULD HANG OUT WITH ME!” Anna yelled, jumping down from the same tree Rhett was climbing.

Rhett jumped to his feet and bared his teeth, ready to fight but calmed down a bit when he noticed it was merely Anna. However he definitely wouldn't drop his guard around her. 

Anna smiled widely and waved at Rhett before launching herself into Elsa’s arms. “You took the day off and didn’t tell me?!” 

Elsa naturally caught her sister, wrapping her arms around her. Eyes wide. “A-Anna... were you there listening the whole time?!” 

Rhett gave a slight glare, obviously not liking the news, what exactly did she hear being conversed? Had she found out about his abilities? He and Elsa certainly had discussed a fair amount in their time in the gardens.

The princess pulled back and pursed her lips in thought. “Well, not the  _ whole  _ time, just about when you told Rhett he could stay in Arendelle. That was so sweet!” 

Letting go of her sister, Anna then rounded on Rhett, beaming. “Are you going to stay?”

He glanced over at Elsa for a brief moment before looking back at her sister, "For now... yeah. We'll see..."

Anna nearly squealed. “That’ll make Elsa so happy!” 

“I... what? Anna what are you talking about?” Elsa inquired, taken aback. 

The princess gave Elsa a serious look. “Don’t act silly with me, sister. I  _ know  _ why you brought him here!” 

“Um...” Elsa looked to Rhett, utterly confounded. 

Rhett looked back at her with a slight shrug, obviously dreading what Anna may say next. 

Anna brought both of them in closer and ducked her head, so she wouldn’t be heard by any passing servants. “You’re secret lovers, aren’t you?”

He grit his teeth in a snarl and pulled back. "For the last time,  _ NO! _ " he growled at her, obviously starting to get angry. "I've hardly known your sister for a week, do you really think I'd fall in love with her in such a short amount of time?" 

Anna straightened herself and glared back at him, frowning. “Men have known her for  _ less  _ and were head over heels.” 

“Anna,” Elsa started, trying to intercept the conversation, but it fell on deaf ears.

"Then those guys were idiots, people can't marry those they just met. Alright?" he snarled.

Anna’s eyes widened. Her hands curled into fists. “You don’t think I don’t know that?! I never said anything about  _ marriage  _ just  _ feelings _ . What do you know about love anyway?” she growled. 

“Anna,” Elsa tried again, this time with a tinge of warning in her tone.

“Is it so wrong to want happiness for my sister when I rarely see her happy with  _ anyone else _ ?!” Anna continued.

"I know  _ enough _ ," he growled back, a low rumble growing in his throat, "Besides,  _ she  _ actually has a chance of finding someone else."

“None of those snobby, princely suitors will ever make her happy—“ 

“ _ Anna _ !” Elsa yelled, finally catching the attention of her sister. “We’re not secret lovers and for god’s sake he’s not in love with me. He’s a guest and a  _ friend _ , and I expect that you treat him as such.” She paused and took a deep breath to calm herself. A ring of frost had circled her. 

“Please, Anna. I’m not looking for a suitor and Rhett is not one of them. I found him injured in the forest and brought him back to the castle for medical attention. That’s all.” 

Anna seemed to shrink under her sister’s hard gaze before she lowered her head with a sigh. “Oh,” she said, dejected. The energy slipped out of her like air from a balloon. “Sorry. I guess I’m just... Elsa, I just want to know that you’ll be happy one day like I am with Kristoff.” 

Rhett resisted the urge to roll his eyes and started to stalk off towards the doors back into the castle, he needed some time to himself, without Anna, things had been peaceful, pleasant even, but now he was really regretting his decisions from the week prior. 

Noticing Rhett starting to make his exit, Elsa called out to him, “Rhett, wait!”

He stopped and snapped his attention towards her, but didn't say a word. His green eyes were glittering with annoyance.

For the first time, Elsa lost the words at the tip of her tongue. She wracked her brain to pull back what she’d lost, even formulate a plan to save the situation, but the damage was already done. Instead, understanding he needed space, she sighed. “The castle is a maze, I can walk you back to your room,” she offered. 

"Thanks," he grumbled before waiting for her by the door.

Elsa nodded and turned back to Anna to tell her she’d be right back. Then, she made her way by the door. “I’m sorry,” she murmured once she came into step with him. “For my sister, she can be a bit much sometimes. She’s... over-eager.” 

Rhett merely shrugged as he walked next to her, "Guess it's something I'll just have to get used to," he grumbled. 

Elsa sighed, averting her gaze. "I'll have a talk with her later."

' _ Your sister not mine.. _ ' he thought as they continued onward. 

She continued to lead him the rest of the way back to his room in silence. While she enjoyed the quiet, this one was uncomfortable. When she halted by the doors, Elsa turned to him with hands clasped in front of her. "Well, here's your room." 

"Thanks.." he said before heading inside.

Elsa watched him enter. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask. Rest well."

"Alright then, thank you" he said before setting his belongings back on the desk. It had been a long and..  _ interesting  _ day for him. After getting everything sorted he gave a soft sigh and flopped down onto his bed, within moments he could feel sleep starting to envelop him.


	8. Chapter 8

Later that night, Elsa was having a hard time falling asleep, she soon decided to take a night time stroll in the gardens.

Rhett sighed, he hadn't been able to sleep a wink that night. As such he had snuck out and had managed to get into the gardens himself and was currently laying in the grass, staring up at the stars. Or what stars he could see from here.

Strolling through the gardens, Elsa breathed in the fresh air, but paused when she noticed a figure in the distance. She snuck closer and squinted her eyes to see who it was, then frowned when she recognized him. “Rhett?” 

His attention snapped over to her, he could easily make out her outline. "Oh... uh... hey Elsa..." he said, his green eyes shining back, a stark contrast to the dark background. Something told him he was going to get an earful from being out of being out here without an escort.

“I didn’t expect you to be out here... alone,” Elsa commented, her eyes narrowing a little. Though, she didn’t give any sign of anger. 

A small frown spread across his face, "I know I'm not supposed to go anywhere alone but... I couldn't sleep.." he said looking away from her and turning his attention back to the night sky. 

Elsa pursed her lips and crossed her arms. “Something tells me you ate your escort. How did you get past the guards?”

Rhett frowned at her. "For the last time.  _ I don't _ .  _ Eat _ .  _ People _ ," he growled at her. "Shadows are a predator's best friend. Besides, it's not like I left the castle grounds." 

Elsa resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Okay, but you still kill people,” she responded. Then, she sighed, “I gave you a direct order that you were to not leave your room without an escort. Why are you out here alone then?” 

He sat up and looked over at her, "I thought you knew what it was like to be cooped up in a room 24/7. Maybe I wanted to be somewhere else and  _ alone _ ."

Elsa took a step closer, her blue eyes flashing in the moonlight. “That’s different, I isolated myself for a reason. I wasn’t given order. You on the other hand...” she trailed off with a purse of her lips. “You disobeyed me. I put that rule in place to protect you!”

"I can handle myself," he hissed in response. "I've lived on my own for over a damned decade, fought wolves, bears, elk and most dangerous of all, poachers. The only thing that's been able to even get me close to death so far has been  _ you. _ "

Elsa dug her nails into palms, taking another step. “Regardless, you’re under  _ my  _ roof, which means you’re  _ my  _ responsibility. Therefore, under  _ my _ protection!”

"Again. I can handle myself! What's so hard to get about that, huh??" He snarled, getting to his feet and glaring daggers at her.

Elsa clenched her teeth, never had she had to deal with such a stubborn, ungrateful— “ _ I _ don’t get it?! How  _ dare  _ you! I’ve provided you with proper care, fed you, made sure you were comfortable, and you have the  _ gall  _ to disobey the only order I’ve given you! I don’t want you to have to feel cooped up, but I can’t have you roaming the castle alone.”

"Oh is it because you think I'm a monster too? You think I'm going to sneak out and slaughter innocent people who have done no harm to me?" He snarled. "Because if you want a monster, oh I can certainly give you a monster" he continued, a deep rumble emanating from his throat.

Elsa bristled at his comment, meeting his ire with her own. "You think I'm giving you these orders so you won't kill anyone?! Have you even thought about how it's for your  _ own  _ protection?! Do you know how many people would try and hurt you out of fear?!"

"Yes, as a matter of fact I do, living out in the wild you have enemies from all fucking directions," he hissed. "Given how long I've lived out there, I'm surprised I'm not dead yet," he continued, his teeth bared. It was obvious she wasn't intimidating him at all, he'd faced much larger opponents before.

Elsa frowned, nostrils flaring. "I'm not here to fight, Rhett," she said, sighing. "I know what you're capable of, but do you really think you can survive an entire village mob? You could be the fastest, strongest one there, but once there's a crossbow or a gun involved? That won't  _ matter _ . I know, because I've  _ been  _ there."

"Congratulations,  _ so have I," _ he half snarled, glancing at his arm, where a small divot could be seen on his right bicep.

"You know what?" Elsa began, turning on her heel. Her cape whirled with her, catching in the wind. "I don't care anymore. You want to disobey my orders? Fine. You want to put yourself in danger when you don't  _ have  _ to?  _ Fine _ . See if I care." 

Rhett merely rolled his eyes and went back to his spot in the grass, he would be so glad once he could head back home. ' _ God, she thinks I'm a child _ ,' he thought as he continued to watch the night sky, once he actually felt tired he'd head back inside to sleep.

Elsa let out a frustrated growl. As soon she'd started to walk away, she just as quickly spun on her heels and stomped back over to him. Without a word, she sat on the ground a little ways away from him and grumbled, "At the very least, you could have asked me."

"In all honesty I thought you were asleep, your room was dark, as was your office," he muttered, not even bothering to look at her. Honestly he was a bit surprised she didn't go back into the castle and leave him alone, but he wasn't really sure how to feel about her presence, especially after what just happened.

"I was trying to sleep, but I couldn't. I wasn't in my office because I was done working and I didn't have a candle burning in my bedroom because I was trying to sleep. I finally gave up and came out here..."

"Guess we had similar ideas then. I was able to doze off for a bit but that obviously changed..."

Elsa sighed. "Why are you out here then?"

Rhett merely shrugged. "Honestly... I don't know.." 

Elsa glanced at him, raising a brow. "You don't know? You just... decided to take a stroll? Sit and watch the stars?"

"I... guess.." he said before suddenly the sky lit up in an array of gorgeous colors as the aurora spread across the night sky. "Wow," Rhett breathed, almost entranced, "Man that's gorgeous...."

Elsa turned her attention up at the sky as the northern lights cast over them. She smiled, adding a short flare of her own magic to the show. "It's the Northern Lights, we get them up here in Arendelle every once in a while."

Rhett's eyes moved towards the small spurt of ice and snow that she had released before his attention went back to the lightshow. "I never really had a chance to see them , I'd heard about them before from some of the elders. According to lore, our ancestors are up there... watching over us..."

Elsa curled her legs and wrapped her arms around them, eyes fixated on the lights. "That's interesting. I was told.. from a friend of mine, Kristoff, that the trolls use their crystals to cast them over our kingdom."

He narrowed his eyes in confusion, "Trolls?"

"The rock trolls," she elaborated. "They live deep in the valley, just beneath the North Mountain. They're connected with the Earth and it is said that the crystals they harvest and wear are magical in nature. They can influence the northern lights."

Rhett blinked, "Really? Huh... I was always told trolls were myths.."

"That's what they want you to believe. They don't usually take well to humans or human-like creatures. Not unless it's an emergency. If all of Arendelle knew about them? It would be chaos."

"That's understandable, for multiple reasons that is. Hell, if the secret got out they may wind up like our kinds..."

Elsa frowned, her eyes dropping down to her lap. She glanced at her upturned hands. "Yeah... our kinds," she murmured. A wave of loneliness engulfed her for a brief moment and she wondered if there was anyone out there like her.

Rhett glanced over at her before rubbing his shoulder self consciously, "I mean... we're not alone, but.. as far as I know, we're the only ones that are well... free.."

Elsa closed her eyes and sighed."Perhaps you're not alone," she said, tightening her arms around herself. "But, as far as I know, I'm the only one out there... like me." She gave a bitter laugh. "What I wouldn't give to be normal."

He gave a small sigh, "Yeah... I know that feeling... if I were normal I wouldn't have to constantly be on the run... I could have friends for a change and... not worry about...." he said before trailing off, growing oddly silent.

Elsa chewed her lip, opening her eyes and glancing over at him. "Not worry about what?" she asked softly.

He caught her gaze for a brief moment, before looking back down at himself, "Don't... don't worry about it..."

Realizing she had prodded too far, Elsa backed off and turned her attention back to the light show. "I promise I'll release you within the week. You're strong enough to walk on your own and fend for yourself. You.. may leave here with scars, but at least you won't have to come here ever again." Elsa pursed her lips, pausing for a brief moment before she added, "Arendelle and I will be out of your hair for good."

He looked back over at her, "Thanks... in all honesty... I'm not sure if I actually want to leave.."

Elsa raised a brow. "No? Why is that? You were so adamant on leaving a week ago."

Rhett sat up, "I mean... if you don't want me here, I can leave if you wish. But.. I... I don't know, maybe I like having others around after all.. especially someone who's... y'know.."

Elsa's eyes widened and she shook her head. "No, I.. you're always welcome here. I was just surprised." She felt her face grow hot with embarrassment, not realizing how eager she'd been to possibly gaining a friend. Even if he was stubborn. "Someone else who's just as tortured?" she finished for him.

He gave a small laugh, "If you wanna put it that way I guess."

Elsa gave a short laugh in response. "Sorry," she apologized. "That was a bit morbid."

Rhett shrugged, "You're probably right."

"Well, if you want to stay you're welcome to. If not, then you can go."

He pursed his lips in thought, "I'll.. I'll think on it.. I guess it depends on what happens within that week". 

Elsa nodded. "Alright," she replied. She then stared up at the northern lights as a silence stretched between them.

After about a half hour, the lights faded away. Rhett then glanced at her before almost hesitantly asking, "So... if I stay here, will I still have to have an escort wherever I go or..?"

Elsa shook her head. "The escort was only until you were fully healed..."

"Oooooooooh... so... I assume I should still be asking for one for another week or so then..?"

"Just for one more week," she confirmed. Then she glanced at him. "Were you afraid I would make you have an escort for the rest of your life?" Elsa teased with a raised brow.

He gave a small nod before returning his attention to the night sky. "Not  _ that  _ long, no. But I was thinking like.. two to three months.."

Elsa shook her head. "I wouldn't do that to you."

Rhett briefly looked back at her before giving a very subtle nod.

About a half hour later, Elsa sat up and yawned, "Well... I think I'm going to head in for the night.."

Rhett sat up and watched as she got up and started inside. "Alright then, see you tomorrow?"

Elsa turned around with a small smile on her face, "Sure."


	9. Chapter 9

A month later, Rhett sighed, he didn't necessarily want to go to the party that was starting that night, but Anna had been nagging him almost non-stop the whole week about going. The way he saw it, it'd be the only way to get her to stop.

Elsa remained in her room for the majority of the day. Her seamstress helped her into a new, burgundy dress that Elsa accented with smaller ice crystals. They were scattered along the hem, down the sleeves, and clustered in various sizes on her torso. Once the seamstress was satisfied, she bowed to the queen and left, leaving Elsa alone to apply her make-up.

Anna knocked obnoxiously on Rhett's door, a wide smile on her face. Today was the day she was going to finally get Elsa to dance with someone.

Rhett glanced over at the door and raised an eyebrow before going over and opening the door, "Uh.. yeah?"

Anna smiled wide, "Time to get you ready!" She held up a nice suit.

His green eyes widened, at the sight of the suit she held towards him. "No. I am  _ not  _ getting in that"

"You have to! It's royal etiquette!"

Rhett gave a small shudder, "Ugggh.... fine. But only this once... got it?"

Anna nearly squealed, then she grabbed him by the collar and shut the door behind them after dragging him in. Tossing the suit at him, she ordered him to get changed. "Oh, by the way. You're asking Elsa for a dance."

He looked back down at the clothing in his arms, answering almost absentmindedly. "Sure.. Wait  _ WHAT _ ," he exclaimed, whirling around to face her. "No! I am not doing that!"

Anna frowned. "Why not?!"

He narrowed his eyes, "Do I look like someone who dances? Or has ever gotten a chance to?"

"Oh stop being a baby. It's easy! Just follow her lead! Don't you know how many men would die to be in your position?"

"Anna. I said no I am  _ not  _ dancing with her, nor anyone else. Got it?" He growled with annoyance.

Anna pursed her lips. "Look here, mister," she started with a growl, pointing a finger at him. "Elsa hasn't danced with  _ anyone _ . And I mean anyone because all of the men who ask her to dance? Are arrogant and snobbish, not to mention thirsty! You  _ need  _ to dance with her to discourage them!" The princess then backed off and sighed. "You might not know how to dance and might not like it, but how do you think Elsa feels? As Queen, she has to. Do you think it's comfortable for her?"

Elsa's words echoed in his mind, 'Unable to marry for love'. He then sighed, "Alright... fine..." He grumbled as he set the suit onto the bed. Looking back up at her, "You know there's bound to be someone out there who isn't that way that'll come this way in an attempt to woo her, right?"

Anna placed her hands on her hips, "Yet, he hasn't made an appearance. Regardless, he would have to get my approval first. And, let me tell you, the dignitary this ball is for? He has yet to leave a good impression on me." Her hands balled into fists. "My sister  _ deserves  _ someone who will love her, not some snobbish prince who thinks he can just waltz in and.. and.."

"Alright, alright I get it. I'll dance with your sister.. alright? Happy?"

Anna's eyes narrowed, sizing him up for a moment before she nodded, satisfied. "Good. Now get dressed, the party starts in an hour!"

Rhett rolled his eyes before starting to take his shirt off, before looking back at Anna. "Do you mind?"

"Nope!" she replied, then a sly grin crossed her face. "Just gotta make sure what you got  _ downstairs _ , if you know what I mean, is also good enough."

He looked at her, an annoyed and almost disgusted look crossed his face before he gave a small huff and turned his back to her before taking his shirt off, revealing the myriad of scars that adorned his back.

Noticing his scars, Anna's face fell a little. Then, she gave a low sigh, turning to the door. "Alright, I'll give you some privacy. I was just pushing your buttons!" With that, she made her exit.

A few minutes later, he came out fully dressed in the suit Anna gave him. Rhett hated fancy clothing it was always too tight in the wrong spots for him. All he could do was wonder how could either of the sisters even wear this kind of stuff?

When Rhett opened the door, Anna spun on her heels and smiled. "Wow, look at you!" she commented, then playfully nudged him. "Who knows, maybe you'll make my sister swoon!" She winked.

Rhett shot her a look, "Not funny, besides, even if she was interested in me, I doubt the council would let her get very far."

Anna frowned. "Why do you think that? They shouldn't have any business in who she falls in love with. It's not like they'll be the ones marrying."

"Come on. A Queen with a commoner? Still don't see it," he said before he leaned against the wall. "So. What do we do from here..?"

"We head to the ballroom and wait for Elsa to make her appearance, then the ball begins!"

"Oh joy..."

Anna glanced at a nearby clock, then grabbed his hand. "Come on! We need to head down before Elsa's ready!"

Rhett gave an almost comedic yelp of surprise as she yanked him from his position down the hall, "Holy hell you are stronger than you look!"

Anna glanced back at him with a mean grin, flexing her fist on her free hand. "You should see me when I"m angry then!"

Elsa meanwhile finished her French braid and clasped a necklace. She straightened her back and took in a breath. "You can do this," she murmured to herself. The queen then turned to the door and opened it, stepping out to begin her descent down to the ballroom.

A brief movement caught his eye, but before he could tell what was going on he tripped, losing grip on Anna's hand and was sent straight to the floor, practically face planting onto the floorboards a couple feet away. Instantly after he popped up, "I'm good."

When Rhett was ripped from her grasp, Anna stumbled.

Elsa, on the other hand, gasped. Her hands covered her mouth and her eyes were as wide as plates. For a moment, she couldn't tell who it was. A royal she hadn't met before? Another visiting dignitary? When he spoke, Elsa recognized the voice immediately. "Rhett! Is that you? I'm so sorry, are you hurt? I didn't reopen one of your wounds did I?" she continued to fret.

He looked up at her, "Oh, uh.. hey Elsa," he said through his copper locks, before shaking his hair out and standing up. "I'm fine, if they had reopened you would have known." When he finally got a good look at what she was wearing he paused, "Wow.... Elsa... that dress.."

Elsa blinked then shifted on her feet self-consciously. "It's not too much is it? Or too little? I tried to add a bit of my own flare to the dress, but I fear it might be too much." Her cheeks colored when she realized she had started rambling. 

Anna paused to watch the exchange with a small smile. 

"No! It looks great!" He quickly said in response. "It's absolutely perfect!" truth be told she did look pretty good in it, it was a nice change from her usual blue colors he had mostly seen her in. 

Elsa smiled a little. "I- thank you. You look different," she commented, but realized he might take that the wrong way and corrected herself. "It's a good different! Are you on your way to the ball?"

"Um... thanks, and yeah, Anna was wanting to get to the Great Hall before you were out there.. sorry for nearly colliding into you, didn't see you open the door until it was too late."

"It's alright," she assured him. Then she glanced over at her waiting sister. "I shouldn't keep you though, Anna seems antsy, are you her 'date' for the ball?"

"NO!" Anna yelled, but cleared her throat. "Just escorting him, dear sister!"

Rhett frowned before turning to Anna, "Yeah I was gonna ask, where's Kristoff? I thought you and him were together." 

"Yeah, we are! But I told him I would be  _ escorting  _ you to the ballroom. So, he's already downstairs waiting for me!" 

He raised an eyebrow at her before looking back at Elsa. "Well... guess I don't want to keep you from him... then again with your strength, doubt I'd have a choice."

Elsa offered him a small smile. "I'll see you in a bit. Anna will show you the way."

"YUP! Let's go, mister copper!" she exclaimed before hooking her arm around his and all but dragging him down to the ballroom.

"ACK," he exclaimed before leaving the scene of the crime and towards the ballroom.

Anna practically dragged him down the stairs and into the ballroom, only halting when they were mingled with the crowd. She bumped into a visiting dignitary the ball was for by accident. "Oh! Sorry, sorry! I didn't.. sorry."

Prince Brynjar looked behind him and glared at the two. However he did relax a bit upon noticing it was merely Anna. He was decently sized around as tall as Kristoff, and almost as muscular, however he did hold and almost regal air to him. "Ah, Princess Anna.." he purred, "How lovely to see you and your.... friend," he continued with a hint of disgust upon seeing Rhett behind her. "So. Where pray tell is your sister, I believe I have a private audience with her this evening after the festivities."

Anna resisted the urge to frown, but faked a smile instead. "Oh! You must be Prince Brynjar! It's wonderful to finally meet you. Sorry about.. before," she said with a small laugh. She glanced back at Rhett to make sure he didn't flee the ballroom, knowing he didn't even want to really be here (but by god he's going to dance with her sister whether he likes it or not). "Elsa will be here soon! Kai needs to announce her arrival and the festivities may begin!" 

"Ah, as long as I get an audience with her majesty all is well," he stated before looking at Rhett, who was obviously a bit on edge. "What are you looking at", the Prince snarled, before Rhett stalked menacingly towards him, "Whatever the hell I want,  _ buddy _ ". Brynjar blinked in surprise and took a small step back, "Princess, you should teach this... peasant some manners, my God I'm even shocked that you've allowed such filth inside your castle." 

"Not to be rude but... what makes you think you'll get a private audience with my sister late at night after the ball? She'll likely retire to her chambers," Anna pointed out. She then bit her lip, eyes narrowing despite being sandwiched between two men who were about to chew each other out. "Hey, hey! You," she pointed at Rhett. "No fighting! With  _ anyone _ . And you!" The princess rounded on the prince, but realized Elsa would not approve of how she was treating an honored guest. "I mean.. Prince Brynjar. 

My apologies, but he is also a guest of ours and he is to be treated with respect. Now-" Kai cut Anna off as he announced Elsa's appearance, "Her Majesty, Queen Elsa of Arendelle!" 

Elsa glided onto the dais with a demure smile on her face, nodding her head in respect to her guests as they bowed.

Rhett gave a disgruntled snort at the foreign prince before Kai's voice caught his attention. 'Thank god...' he thought before shifting a bit uncomfortably at watching everyone bow, uncertain if he should have done so as well. Brynjar slid him a look, which luckily for him, went unnoticed by the shapeshifter, 'He doesn't even bow to her? What disrespect!'

Once Elsa announced for the festivities to begin, Anna gave Rhett a nudge and mouthed 'go!' before she disappeared into the crowd in search of Kristoff. 

Elsa stood in front of her throne on the dais, watching her people and guests enjoy the night. 

Rhett blinked in surprise before looking to where Anna had fled to with a sigh, if she was likely going to be with Kristoff the whole night, maybe there was a chance he could slip out and slip into something that would definitely be a fair bit more comfortable than what she had given him.

As Rhett started searching for a way out through the crowd, Brynjar also had his mind set on something, wooing the Queen of Arendelle, his kingdom could get the upper hand by having her under their rule, and if she could indeed bring him heirs, they'd be unstoppable. "Your Majesty," he said with a small bow as he approached her, "It is good to see you."

Having just noticed that she'd been approached, Elsa glanced down with a small smile. "Prince Brynjar, the pleasure is all mine. I hope you are enjoying your stay and the festivities so far?"

"Yes, except for one thing I happened to notice. It seems you have a... how do I put this lightly... a 'pest' in your castle", he said motioning towards Rhett, who by now had managed to skirt around the majority of the crowd, however it was obvious he was starting to get fairly uncomfortable. "I suggest you remove him from the premises as soon as possible, perhaps have your guards give him a 'friendly' escort out?"

Elsa creased her brows, her blue eyes following the prince's gesture. Upon noticing Rhett, she relaxed and shook her head. "No, he's a guest as well. I've granted him to stay in the castle as long as he'd like." She paused and resisted the urge to bite her lip before she called out to him, "Rhett! Would you care to join us?"

Rhett perked up a bit at the sound of his name and looked towards the source before carefully making his way through the crowd towards her. All the while Brynjar glared daggers at the copper haired man as he approached, when Rhett looked at him, he blinked in shock, for a moment he could have sworn he watched the man's pupils turn from slits to circles.

"Hey.. what is it?" Rhett asked her once he got close enough. 

Elsa smiled at him, then glanced between both men before her. "Prince Brynjar, have you met my good friend, Rhett? He's been staying with us for quite a while now. Rhett, this is Prince Brynjar." The queen paused, her small falling a little as she remembered how Rhett seemed to be searching for a way out not long ago. "I hope you're enjoying yourself so far?" 

The two men glared at each other, "Yeah, we've met," Rhett said, attempting to suppress a snarl. His green eyes didn't leave the foreign man for a second as the prince took a step closer to Elsa. A small rumble escaped the shapeshifter's throat as he responded to Elsa's second question, "Everything's fine, guess I'm just not used to crowds is all."

Ignoring the Prince, Elsa’s blue eyes settled on Rhett, noticing how tense he was. She repressed a sigh, glancing from him to the crowd. Perhaps she shouldn’t force him to stay here. After all, she wasn’t fond of crowds either. She’d do anything to be allowed to escape the suffocating room.

However, before she could grant him permission to leave, the prince’s sudden proximity startled her. She took a short, but calculated step back before addressing Rhett once more. “If you need a break from the crowd, you’re welcome to leave.” 

Rhett glanced between her and Brynjar, "Thanks but... I do have something I wanted to ask before I left." He said before self consciously rubbing his arm, 'Here goes...' he thought before sighing. "Would you like to share a dance or two?" 

Before Elsa could respond, the Prince got in Rhett's face, making him step back, his eyes wild with animosity. "Don't be ridiculous. A Queen like her should be spending what little time in the day she has with a  _ royal  _ not a common peasant like yourself," he snarled viciously.

Elsa hardly heard Brynjar’s outburst, shocked by Rhett’s request. This was behavior she’d expected from a prince or a dignitary, not him. The queen found herself speechless, almost unsure of how to proceed, but snapped out of it just as quickly. A demure smile crossed her features. “I accept your offer,” she replied, speaking over the Prince. Her eyes locked into Rhett’s as she stepped around Brynjar.

Her response caused both men to blink in surprise. Rhett practically went speechless while Brynjar threw his hands up in the air, "This is an outrage!! Practically an insult! Your Majesty please! You can't be serious, him? A common peasant!"

Upon his continued outburst, Rhett drew his lips back in a snarl, a low hiss emanating from him. He really didn't want to cause trouble, yet here it was.

Ignoring Brynjar’s outburst, Elsa turned her back to him and offered her hand for Rhett to take before the orchestra started the next song.

The shapeshifter's face reddened a bit as he gently took it before walking down with her. 

Elsa squeezed his hand reassuringly before leaning toward him to whisper, “I apologize for my guest’s ignorance and rude comments. I was hoping to avoid this..” she sighed.

He gave a soft sigh in return before leaning back, "So was I..." he whispered back.

She gave him a soft, empathic smile. “I didn’t know you knew how to dance?” she asked, desperate to change the topic. 

"That's the thing... I uh.... don't..." he responded, nervously glancing away. "This is my first time so... forgive me if I accidentally step on your toes."

Elsa blinked in surprise as they assumed position, waiting for the orchestra to start. “That’s alright, we’ll go slow. Just follow my lead.”

Meanwhile, Anna shushed Kristoff while they were on the sidelines, practically jumping in excitement.

Rhett glanced nervously over at Anna before sighing. "You sure you want to do this? If you don't want to, we don't have to."

Elsa followed his gaze for a moment and noticed Anna, who just as quickly spun on her heels as if she wasn’t watching. She then sighed. “Anna put you up to this, didn’t she?” 

He gave a small nod in return, "Yep.."

She let go of him just as the dance started and other couples swayed with their dance partners. “I’m sorry,” she apologized, chewing her bottom lip. “You don’t have to be here if you don’t want to. Please, excuse me.” She ducked out of the ballroom between the crowds and sighed when she reached fresh air and space.

Anna frowned, walking toward the dancing floor to yank Rhett out. “What the hell happened?”

Rhett watched her go, his shoulders drooping, a small sigh escaped his lips before she yanked him back. "If you ever plot anything like this in the future, try not to make it so obvious, ok?" he said before walking past her and making his way out of the ballroom. 

Brynjar smirked at the sight of the two of them departing from the room, he and the Queen would be alone. This was his chance, after briefly glancing around the Prince slowly made his way out, following Elsa. 

“H-Hey wait!” Anna called out for him, but it was too late. Her shoulders slumped. “I messed up,” she sighed, bottom lip trembling. Kristoff wrapped a comforting arm around her. 

Elsa close her eyes and sighed, leaning her forearms on the balcony railing as she overlooked the quiet village, lights flickering in harmony below her. “I should have known...” 

Rhett sighed, what a way to end a night, he thought as he looked up at the stars, up on the roof of the castle he could see plenty more than in the castle gardens, mainly because of the lack of foliage. He didn't even want to go to that stupid thing anyway, too many people.


	10. Chapter 10

"What seems to be the problem your Majesty? Did the peasant not suit you after all?" Brynjar asked as he sauntered up from behind her.

Elsa stiffened and straightened her back. A deep frown etched on her face. She didn’t bother to look at him. “Please,” she started, gripping the railing until her knuckles turned white. “I just want to be left alone, for now.” 

"Are you sure?" he asked as he stopped next to her, "After all there are a few things we need to  _ discuss _ ." 

Elsa frowned, realizing that he was one of  _ those  _ princes who couldn’t take a hint. “I’m sure. I’m also sure that what we need to discuss can be held off until tomorrow.”

"Well, I'd rather we discuss them now so they can just be out of the way. That way tomorrow we can begin on other things." 

Elsa turned to him, leaving one hand on the railing. “And what could you possibly be needing to discuss that can’t wait?”

"Well, first off the relationship between our kingdoms and.. how it can improve," he purred as he leaned close to her. "Queen Elsa, will you be my bride?"

Elsa wrinkled her nose in disgust, but found herself backed into the railing. “I’m afraid I must decline, Prince Brynjar. I’m quite busy and I’ve only just met you.”

"Are you sure? After all, if we united our kingdoms, we could easily stand against any opposing threats, as well as prosper in general." 

“I’m  _ very  _ sure,” she replied. “Now, please. I would like to be alone.”

Brynjar frowned, obviously displeased with her answer but didn't push her any further. "Alright your Highness..", he half grumbled before leaving her alone on the balcony.

Once he left, Elsa sighed in relief and stared down sadly. What she wouldn’t give to have the freedom of a commoner. After getting a half hour of fresh air, she made her way back into the ballroom just in time for dinner to be served.

Rhett opened an eye as a scent caught his attention, his stomach gave a slight grumble, he hadn't eaten since lunch that day, ever the opportunist he decided to start to climb down from his perch and back inside. However something else caught his attention, one that had been almost forgotten by him. Upon getting inside he raced towards the ballroom, something was up, and he didn't like it.

Elsa tapped her glass to gain everyone’s attention. When the room quieted, she smiled lightly. “I would like to welcome our honored guest, Prince Brynjar, to Arendelle,” she paused and glanced over at him, raising her glass. “May our kingdoms prosper.” When the ballroom chanted here here, everyone took a sip of wine.

By then Rhett had snuck back into the hall and warily scented the air, that's when he saw it, in the shadows were a couple figures, watching intently on the scene in front of them. ' _ There you are you sons of bitches _ ,' he thought as he too slunk into the shadows.

Brynjar hadn't noticed the two men that were watching them, but he had noticed Rhett. ' _ Of course, he leaves and only shows up when the food and drink arrives, damn pest _ ,' he thought as he glared darkly at him.

Elsa sat back down and thanked the servants who set the food in front of herself and her guests. Next to her, Anna took the first bite and commented on how heavenly it tasted. Elsa smiled and took her own bite.

The two men smirked, their target had taken the bait, it'd only be a matter of time before their 'secret ingredient' kicked in. Their smirks didn't go unnoticed however, Rhett followed their gaze and softly gasped in shock when he saw who they were eyeing; Elsa. How could he warn her without causing chaos within the guests? 

As she continued to eat her meal, a discomfort began to settle in her stomach. She placed her fork down, causing Anna to glance over at her. “I’ll be right back, please excuse me,” she told her sister. However, when she got up, she doubled over with a hiss of pain. It felt as though she were being ripped from the stomach out.

Anna gasped and stood up. “Elsa!” She rushed over to her sister and caught her. “What’s wrong?” When the Queen didn’t answer, she looked around. “Help!”

Kristoff stood and rushed to the sisters, urging Anna to give him room to scoop Elsa into his arms.

Like a flash Rhett raced over, his green eyes wild with fear. "Elsa!" he exclaimed as he got over to the others. "What happened?"

Elsa’s eyes fluttered, but she didn’t have the strength to move or say anything.

Tears blurred Anna’s vision and her head shot up once Rhett ran over. “I-I don’t know! She was fine just a moment ago! Elsa, can you answer me?  _ Please  _ say something!”

"What's going on?" Brynjar asked curiously, for all he knew this was merely a ploy to get her away from him. After all their little encounter didn't end well for him, to think she'd stoop so low to feign something serious in front of him. 

Kristoff frowned at how pale Elsa seemed to be getting. “Anna, we need to take her to the infirmary, now.”

Rhett glanced over to where the two figures had been standing, only to find them gone. "Here, I'll get her to the infirmary, Kristoff, get Dr. Noctus, Anna make sure things stay calm here, alright?"

Kristoff looked at Rhett, surprised, but handed Elsa over to him. “Alright,” he agreed and raced off to find the doctor.

Anna looked at Elsa, concerned and unsure of how she could calm a room full of scared people. What would Elsa do? She straightened her back with resolve. “Alright, I’ll take care of things here. Please, take care of her.”

He nodded, "Don't worry, she's in safe hands.."

Once Rhett raced out of the ballroom, Anna tried her best to calm the crowd.

Rhett didn't waste any time in getting Elsa to the infirmary, 'Please... please don't give up Elsa.. I know you can fight whatever is going on... just don't give up'. He was more than scared for her, he was downright terrified. 

Elsa scrunched her face and groaned, sucking in a breath. The pain was unbearable.

As soon as Noctus saw Kristoff racing towards him, he knew something was up, "Why, hello Kristoff, what's wrong?" 

Kristoff stopped, out of breath. “Doctor, it’s Queen Elsa. She collapsed during dinner. She’s too weak to stand, she needs immediate medical attention!”

Noctus' eyes widened in shock, "Let me grab a few things then I'll be on my way, I assume she's in the infirmary?"

Kristoff nodded. “She is.”

"Alright then, I'll meet you there!" he called as he searched through his supplies.

Kristoff nodded and raced to find the infirmary.

When Rhett arrived, the nurses wasted no time in having him get Elsa into a bed. Once she was secure, Rhett knelt next to her and hesitantly extended a hand towards her, unsure if she'd take it or not.

Elsa breathed heavily, but caught a glimpse of Rhett from the corner of her eye. “Rhett? Where... didn’t you l-leave?”

"Yeah.. I had, but something seemed off so I came back... glad that I did in all honesty.."

Feeling something brush against her hand, she lifted her wrist and placed her hand in his. Elsa blindly stared up at the ceiling, the pain getting to be too much. Tears rolled down her temple. “It h-hurts,” she whimpered. 

Rhett gave her hand a comforting squeeze, just hearing her in this state hurt him. "It-It's ok.. Kristoff went to get Noctus.. he can help.. just hang in there.. ok?" 

Elsa squeezed her eyes shut. Another wave of tears cascaded down onto the bed and she trembled. Despite the pain, she took comfort in Rhett’s closeness. 

He moved a bit in an attempt to get closer to her, "It's going to be ok... I'm right here.." Rhett looked up when heard Kristoff's footsteps, "Did you find him?" 

Kristoff halted in the threshold, catching his breath. “Yes, he’s on his way. How... how is she?”

Rhett gave a small, worried sigh. "Hurting, but alive..." he said before glancing down at her. "Any clue as to how Anna is handling things in the ballroom?" 

Kristoff frowned and shook his head. “I have no idea. I assume she’s handling it well, considering people are no longer panicking.” 

Noctus hurried down the hallway towards the infirmary. "Alright, I'm here," he breathed, "Now let's see what the problem is." Pulling out a few instruments he started to exam Elsa and her condition, but was left relatively stumped with each thing he found. As he conversed with the nurses and Kristoff about what happened Rhett caught a glimpse of someone leaving from the doorway. He looked down before giving Elsa's hand another squeeze, "I'll be back.." he murmured before exiting the room. 

There he could see one of the men from earlier trotting back to his friend. Rhett didn't waste any time in rushing over and slugging him. Knocking the man out cold, his accomplice immediately turned hostile and pulled out a dagger and swung out at Rhett, grazing his cheek. The shapeshifter let out a snarl of pain, he'd seen blood, this guy wasn't walking away from this alive. 

Kristoff told the doctor everything, hardly recognizing that Rhett had left the room. 

Noctus was immediately at her side, "It'll be alright your majesty, we'll find something to ease the pain.. alright?" he said quickly rummaging through his bag for something, anything that could help. 

Rhett quickly gave a loud roar and lunged at his opponent, smoothly changing shape into a saber toothed cat in the process. However the assassin was swift enough to dodge the attack. Whirling around he swung a large paw at him, knocking the assassin to the floor with a grunt. Instinct kicked in as they got up and started to run past the infirmary door, big mistake. Within a few short bounds the great cat had pinned its prey to the floor and cut off his scream with a secure bite to his throat. His massive, blade-like canines sinking through the man's flesh and severing both his windpipe and jugular. Once he was dead, Rhett paused to catch his breath for a few moments, how was he going to explain this to the others?

Kristoff also ran to Elsa’s side. He took her hand in his. “Elsa, I’ll be right back, okay? I’ll go get Anna.”

The shapeshifter took a moment to lick what blood there was off of his lips however didn't realize Kristoff exiting the room and upon seeing the man jumped in surprise, his fur standing on end. But was quick to shift back into a human, hoping Kristoff didn't see what he had just done.

However, Kristoff ran passed him, hardly registering what was going on outside the infirmary. He was set on finding Anna and bringing her back to the infirmary.

Rhett gave a brief sigh before yelling to him, "Try to get a couple guards out here as well!"

Noctus gave a sigh of relief as he found the opioids, hopefully they would at least help dull the pain. Taking a couple out he then placed them on the bedside table. A nurse came over with a cup of water as Rhett walked back in. "Ah, Rhett, thank goodness, I'll need you help easing her Majesty into a better position so she can take some medicine." He nodded in response and went over to Elsa's other side, "Hey.. this may hurt a bit more but, we need you to sit up, ok? Want me to help you do so? Or do you think you can handle it?"

Elsa curled a fist into her hair as she bit back another scream, nearly tearing her hair out. She shook her head, only just registering what he’d said. “S-Sit up? I c-can’t... please don’t make me..” 

Rhett frowned, "Alright then..." he said before looking up at Noctus worriedly. The doctor sat back in thought, "Well... we could try it with you lying back like you are now..."

Anna raced into the doorway of the infirmary. "Is she okay?! Kristoff got a counselor to calm the guests. I also brought a guard with us, he has the food Elsa was eating." Anna knelt by her sister. "Elsa? Can you hear me?" 

Both men looked up at them. Noctus put a hand on Anna's back, "She'll be fine, we're going to give her some opioids to ease the pain." Rhett looked back down at Elsa and moved a couple stray strands of hair from her face, however he seemed to be almost lost in thought. 

Anna frowned, looking between Noctus and Elsa. Chewing her lip, she spoke, "Elsa, I know it hurts, but you need to listen to me. Dr. Noctus wants to give you pain medicine, but he can't do that if you're laying down okay? Can you try and sit up a little bit?" 

Elsa swallowed, lips trembling. She sucked in a sharp breath, to ease the pain. Finally, she sighed. "O-Okay.." 

Anna smiled softly in response and ran her hand through her sister's hair. "It'll be alright, okay? I'll help you." She then proceeded to rest a comforting hand on Elsa's back to aid her in adjusting her body in a better, more upright position. The princess flinched when Elsa gave a short scream. "There, it's over you're done!" Anna glanced at Noctis, nodding at him to indicate that Elsa was ready.

Noctus gave a small nod towards the princess before handing her sister the pill and keeping the glass in hand, just in case she needed help taking the medicine. By now Rhett was watching them and gave Elsa's hand another small squeeze in attempt to comfort her.

Elsa took the pill and placed it in her mouth before Anna handed her the glass of water and swallowed it. 

Anna took the glass back and smiled. “There,” she said before glancing over at Rhett. “Can you maybe get her a wet cloth? She’s breaking into a sweat.”

Rhett glanced up at her before giving a small nod and getting up and taking one off of a table nearby. Gently he placed it on Elsa's forehead. 

Noctus stood up, "Now, the pill should kick in within a half hour or so.. in the meantime, Anna, Rhett I'd like to have a conversation with you outside about this to figure out what exactly happened." 

Anna stood up and nodded, but when Elsa reached out for her, she took her sister’s hand. “I’ll be right back okay? I promise.”

He gave her hand a other squeeze, "We both will, ok?" He said before getting up and following. The guard not too far behind. 

"So.. what all happened?" Noctus asked. "I was only there when she keeled over, so... Anna?" Rhett said looking over at her.

Anna chewed her lip. “I-I don’t know. She made her little speech and we started eating. Not long after, she excused herself, but when she got up... she collapsed. I barely got there in time to catch her.”

Rhett's attention snapped towards the dish the guard was holding, and eyed it. "So, she was alright before she ate, but as soon as she did so.. everything changed?" Noctus asked. 

"I bet you it was something put on her food..." Rhett said as he took a step closer to examine the plate. He blinked in shock as he gently dragged a finger across it. "This is what those bastards were smirking about.." He growled. 

Anna nodded. “She didn’t complain about anything hurting before she ate. Actually, the symptoms didn’t appear until almost immediately after..” she trailed off in thought. When Rhett examined the plate and growled, Anna frowned. “What guys? Who? Do.. do you think someone poisoned her?”

"No doubt about it.." He growled. Movement caught his eye as he saw the other assassin start to get up down the hall. "YOU DAMNED BASTARD!" he yelled before charging forward. When he was close enough he let loose, shifting seamlessly into a saber toothed cat before leaping at the man in front of him. Within moments the assassin was pinned to the floor.

Anna’s eyes widened. She gasped in shock at the scene before her. However, knowing her sister’s life was at stake, she shook her head and got ahold of herself. “Guards! Take this man to the dungeon, make sure he doesn’t escape. I will be down later for an interrogation,” she ordered. The guards nodded and instantly seized the assassin beneath the saber tooth. 

Noctus blinked in surprise, he certainly had his suspicions of Rhett but now, they had been confirmed. But that was for a later discussion, something more urgent was currently at hand. 

Anna hesitated, not taking her eyes off of Rhett, even when he changed forms. “I.. how did you..?” She had so many questions, but when she heard Elsa groan, she realized she would have to ask them later. 

Kristoff stood behind her, also in shock. 

Rhett watched as the guards dragged the assassin away before looking over at the corpse of his accomplice. "He's lucky," Rhett growled as he stalked past Anna. It was then he realized what had just happened and briefly paused mid step before shifting back into a human. It was then a lightbulb went off in his head. He thought for a couple moments before looking back at Noctus, "I think I have a cure.." 

“A cure?” Anna asked, perking up.

Rhett sighed, "Look, we'll talk about what I just did later, ok? Anyway, if it was something she ate that's caused this, we need to get it out... which means...." 

Noctus perked up in understanding, "So in other words we'll need her to... 'eject' her meal.." 

Anna frowned. “Isn’t there something we can give her to make her puke?”

Rhett frowned as well, "I've got nothing..." 

Noctus smiled and walked over, "I know just the thing, a glass of warm salt water should do the trick, she'll likely be tired and hungry from the whole ordeal but the important thing is that she'll live. I'll have a nurse get a glass ready, as well as a bucket." 

“Oh, okay,” Anna replied and nodded. She glanced over at Rhett before heading back into the room.

Rhett followed as Noctus ushered a nurse over and explained to her what to do. Rhett meanwhile was at Elsa's side, gently holding her hand. Once the nurse returned Rhett glanced between the sisters before moving to give the nurse room to set the cup on the table and the bucket next to the bed.

Anna was at her other side, just glad at the moment that her sister didn’t seem to be in as much pain.

Once Elsa was done, Rhett ran a gentle hand through her hair, "Feel better...?"

Elsa gasped and laid back down. She didn’t have the energy to respond, but gave a slight nod. 

“Did she get it all up?” Anna asked.

Rhett looked over at the bucket before nodding, "Yep, seems she got it all out." 

Noctus gave a small smile at the scene in front of him. "Well, she should be fine now then, hopefully the opioid from earlier has kicked in, if she needs any more let me know, alright?"

Elsa closed her eyes and sighed, finally feeling as though she can relax. “What.. what happened?” 

Anna frowned. “Someone tried to poison you... I don’t know who would do such a thing?”

Rhett was oddly silent, staring out the window towards the North Mountain. "Sadly I do..."

Anna frowned. “Who?” 

Elsa slipped into a soft slumber.

Rhett pulled out a piece of cloth, on it was a crest. "Drakkar... the king of Dira.." 

Anna furrowed her brows. "I .. don't think we've heard of him. Or that kingdom? Maybe Elsa knows, she's better with history.."

He sighed and looked back out of the window. "She does now... it's North of here and.. it's a place I don't want to go back to.."

Anna had a lot of questions, but knew it wasn't the time right now to ask them. She looked over at Elsa's sleeping form and sighed. "Someone wants her dead..." she realized, eyes tearing at the morbid thought of losing her sister.

Rhett glanced over his shoulder at them before looking back out, if this had happened, he knew Drakkar wouldn't be too far behind. "I hate to say this but... we may have a couple more.. 'guests' in the next couple days or so.." 

Kristoff frowned, "If that's the case, then you may have to explain everything to us. And I mean everything." 

Anna knelt by Elsa's bedside, taking her hand in hers. Her upbeat self nowhere to be found. 

He sighed, "Where do I start... Drakkar, is a practical warlord. Wherever there are people like Elsa and I, he's quick to find them and either enslave them, or... kill them... simply because we're different.. usually afterwards he takes over whatever kingdom they were in. When I was there, he took over a handful of smaller kingdoms with relative ease, and with each kingdom he takes over, the more powerful his army gets.." 

Anna's eyes widened. She withheld a gasp, though the horror could be seen crossing her countenance. She squeezed Elsa's hand as warm tears finally traveled down her cheeks. "Is he going to...?" she trailed off, finding it hard to finish the sentence. Her gaze settled on Elsa.

"I hope not.. those two men he sent are.. well.. out of commission. Knowing him, he'll be expecting them back by tomorrow evening on news of what they achieved. But if they're not back by then he'll likely get ready to scope Arendelle out. Which could take another day or so including preparations. So he won't be sending out any more assassins, he'll be coming in person, probably with at least a small group of men." 

Anna grit her teeth. "He better not touch a hair on Elsa's head or I swear I'll-" 

"Hey, hey, easy there, feistypants. We're not going to let anyone get to her. We have a castle full of guards and she has you and I. I promise, okay?" Kristoff said in an attempt to calm her. 

Anna sighed and forced herself to relax. She refused to take her eyes off her sister, "Right..."

Rhett silently listened, if anything he started to feel a bit jealous, he sure wished he had people like Anna and Kristoff when he was younger. Then again, they wouldn't have lasted long with Drakkar.

Kristoff also sighed. "We should probably get her back into her room." 

Rhett gave a small nod, "Yeah.. I'll.. I'll carry her back.. It's getting late"

Anna stood up. "Are you sure? I mean.. it's been a long night for you too. Kristoff and I don't mind taking her." 

"Yeah, I can do it, it's been a long night for all of us, especially with all this. Besides, she's almost as light as a feather."

Anna looked at Kristoff, who just shrugged in response. She sighed, "Okay. If she wakes up or needs anything, can you get me?" 

"Of course," he said before going to her side and gently picking her up. They'd come so close to losing her tonight, it was obvious it was affecting Rhett, what made it worse was the fact he knew the man behind this, and that he would likely be coming to Arendelle. All Rhett could hope was that nothing would come of it, although deep down he knew things were sadly just getting started. 

Anna watched them go. Shortly afterward, she was ushered to bed by a concerned Kristoff.


	11. Chapter 11

Elsa's head lolled against Rhett's shoulder as she slept peacefully. The groans and grunts of pain had died down minutes after she vomited.

A small sigh escaped his lips as he walked down to the Queen's chamber, out of anyone he knew, of all people, why did Drakkar have to go after Elsa... she was a far cry from what lies the Diran king had been spreading around the lands of what people like her were like. Just why, why  _ her _ , why now??

Elsa stirred in his arms. Her eyes fluttered open and she groaned, unsure of where she was. “What...?” Her entire body was sore. As if someone took a knife to her gut. “Rhett?” She murmured, brows furrowing. 

He blinked in surprise as he got to her door, "Sorry, I didn't wake you did I?" 

"No I..." she trailed off and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry."

He furrowed his brows in confusion as he managed to open her door, "Sorry? For what?" 

"For earlier. It was rude of me to leave you on the floor like that and I'm sorry you felt pressured to go to the ball," she replied softly. "You should have the freedom to choose which activities you'd like to partake in." 

Rhett gently set her down on the bed with a small smile on his face. "After all that happened tonight, that's the first thing you think about?" he said with a small chuckle before gingerly sitting next to her. "In all seriousness, it's alright, if you just need to be alone at times, that's fine, just tell me, ok? And the pressured part? That was your sister's doing, not yours." 

Elsa sat up, resting her head against the pillows. She watched him in silence for a few moments. The man before her was not the same person she'd met a month ago. He wasn't the temperamental, cranky shapeshifter she was used to, rather, she was shocked by this soft side of him. The queen found herself wondering if she liked this side of him more. 

Elsa stared down at her hands, which were folded on her lap. "Perhaps," she sighed. "Yet, I still feel responsible for my sister's actions. I know what it's like to attend an affair you aren't comfortable with." She swallowed, a range of emotions welled up in her chest; sadness, loneliness, self-loathing, fear. Her current condition was due to the poison that was in her system and while Elsa wondered why and how assassins infiltrated the Arendelle castle, she couldn't help but understand their objective. To them, she was a threat. A monster that needed to be eradicated. It wouldn't be the first time there was an attempt on her life and, she knew, it wouldn't be the last. 

"Well... I'd rather know what I'm being put into than not.. wouldn't you?" he said with a slight chuckle. "Don't beat yourself up about what Anna does, ok? She did it with the best intentions, that's what really matters, you know that."

"Part of me," Elsa started with a frown, then paused to take a breath, finally having the courage to address the assassination attempt. "Part of me understands why those men did what they did. If I were them.. I would want me dead too. After all, I'm sure a monster like myself deserves it." 

Just hearing her words made Rhett's heart ache, almost putting him in a stunned silence. 

Slowly he reached a hand out to hers, "Elsa... you're no monster... if you were such a thing I would've been dead a month ago. There's one thing that defines a monster, monsters... kill people." 

Elsa's gaze moved down to their hands. He'd reached out for her, but didn't touch her without her permission; a consideration that she rarely experienced. Slowly, she placed a trembling hand in his. The queen bit her lip, finding it hard to look him in the eyes. A monster was what she thought she'd been all her life. In fact, she'd never allowed herself to voice such feelings in front of her sister, fearing what the princess might say or do. But with Rhett it was different. To a degree, he understood.

He gave a soft, almost shaky sigh, "That's something I had to do tonight..." he could feel his throat tightening up, how was she going to react? 

Hearing his shaky sigh, she glanced up at him to meet his eyes in the darkness of the room. His confession hardly shocked her. "It's alright," she murmured, squeezing his hand reassuringly. 

Rhett gave her hand a small. gentle squeeze of comfort. Out of all the people he'd met so far, Elsa was the first he really could feel like he could open up to, the first person he felt like he could lower his guard against. A small smile crossed his lips in an attempt to comfort her.

"They weren't men who you thought had good intentions. You felt threatened, it's only natural to..." she trailed off and tried again. "I know what it's like to be forced to make such decisions. You don't need to explain yourself to me." 

He looked back over at her surprised, she wasn't frightened, or angered at all. Rhett relaxed and let a small, grateful sigh escape his lips. "Honestly... I'm... glad you feel that way."

Still holding his hand in hers, Elsa’s eyes never left Rhett’s. Her eyebrows furrowed and the corners of her lips twitched into a frown. She then breathed a sigh. Right now, he was an open book. Though, while she knew she should tread carefully, Elsa also recognized where he was coming from. She’d feared Anna would think the same thing of her years ago. 

He looked over at her before giving a small sigh."I guess I'm just so used to being thought of a monster by others... I'm.. still somewhat getting used to being treated like anyone else..."

She squeezed his hand and spoke, “Why would you think I’d hate you for taking a life? It was a matter in which you felt you had no choice. Besides,” she paused with a sigh. She averted her gaze and fought the urge to withdraw her hand. “I’ve nearly killed two men before, so I can’t be one to judge, now can I?”

He then looked at her somewhat surprised, "R-really?"

Ashamed, Elsa closed her eyes and withdrew her hand, choosing to give in to her nervous habit and wring them instead. “I-I was cornered. They were armed with crossbows. I pleaded with them, asking them to leave me alone. To stay away. I didn’t  _ want  _ to hurt them, but I had no choice. One arrow nearly shot through my head... if I hadn’t blocked it in time...” 

Rhett's eyes widened in surprise, "At least you were able to get them away without having to kill them.."

“I would have killed them if I wasn’t stopped,” she sighed. 

"And you would have justified reasons'" he responded. 

“Not to anyone else...” she replied. Elsa opened her eyes and turned her palms upward. “That unusual winter you were talking about when we first met? That was me.” 

He blinked in surprise, he  _ did  _ have his suspicions about what had happened but, he didn't want to jump to conclusions. Now it was starting to make sense. "That was you..? Wow..." granted it was more than a bit of a surprise, in the past he'd heard of how powerful mages were but they were only stories.

“I’m not proud of it,” she said with a frown. “I lost control and...” Elsa trailed off and chewed her lip. “It was the worst day of my life.”

"But you were able to make things right again, that's what matters." Gently he reached his hand out toward her in case she wanted to hold it again. 

She ran a hand through her hair and stared down at her lap when she found that she couldn’t look at him directly. “After all of that? Freezing my Kingdom, striking Anna in the heart and watching her slowly freeze over? I  _ deserve  _ this Rhett, and there’s many people out there who agree. It was only a matter of time someone would dare to assassinate me.” 

"Well.. I don't agree with them," he said pulling his hand back. "You've been through so much, yet you're the kindest person I've ever met. Bad things happen, and when they do you can either run or learn from what's happened." 

Her head shot up to look at him, clear shock evident on her features. “I.. don’t understand. You’ve only known me for a month. Kindest person you’ve ever met, don’t you think that’s stretching it?” 

He shook his head, "Before you the only interactions I had with other people were them always trying to harm me, usually without reason other than to do so. But.. even after you did, you didn't kill me like anyone else would have. You... you saved me... and honestly, I'm glad it happened.." 

Elsa furrowed her brows. "I'm not sure I follow. I hurt you, I almost killed you and.. you're  _ glad  _ it happened?" 

"You almost killed me, yet you have the heart to help me, and even then let me stay in the castle. Had I not attacked you, I would still be in the middle of the woods, living on my own. No allies, no help in case something happened to me." 

Her eyes went downcast. "I felt guilty, despite how it was in self-defense. I owed it to you to give you medical attention and a place to recover."

A smile crossed his lips, "I.. I still don't know how to thank you for all that... anyone else would have just left me to die..."

"It's not needed, really," she said with a small, sad smile.

He gave a small chuckle, "Well, too bad, I'm gonna find a way as a thank you and you're not gonna stop me," he said with a small, playful grin.

Her eyes widened, then she shook her head in amusement. "If you say so."

Rhett gently eased himself back a bit. "Sorry... by the way, guess I ruined things between you and that Prince"

“Prince Brynjar? Why do you say that?”

"Well, after all that went down, I bet things won't get any better between your kingdom and his... after all I am just a commoner."

Elsa shook her head and sighed. “The issue with being a royal and handling diplomatic affairs is that no one reveals their true intentions. After I went outside for some fresh air, Prince Brynjar followed me insisting that we ‘get down to business’ immediately. He cornered me and asked me to marry him. I politely declined. It had nothing to do with you.”

He blinked in surprise, "Are you serious?? What the hell is wrong with him?"

“I’m not surprised,” Elsa mused, absently fingering her braid. “I’m a single, young reigning Queen with unusual powers. I get mail daily of kingdoms offering their sons with an intent on an alliance through marriage. Prince Brynjar is no exception. He just decided to ask in person. Admirable, but that won’t get him anywhere with how he acted.”

"I assume I'll be seeing more people like him then?"

“Unfortunately, but you can avoid them easily in the future. I’ll give you fair warning next time.”

"Thanks. If you do decide on holding another party for them though... Can I go without the suit? It's a bit tight.."

“Would a vest suffice? It’s still proper etiquette, albeit a little more informal, but it shouldn’t be as tight.”

Rhett nodded, and "I'll likely see what can be done about my... 'mane'.."

“Why not a little pony tail?”

"Maybe? Think that could work?"

Elsa smiled a little. “It’s not a mane, as you call it. I don’t think you need to do anything with it. It looks nice the way it is, but if you’re worried about it..”

"Well.. it is a bit shaggy compared to what everyone else has around here.."

She frowned, “If you worry about other people compared to yourself, trust me, you’ll never be happy.”

A small frown formed on his face before he looked away. "Well... I do want to keep it long... But at the same time I don't want to look like I just stepped out of the stone age."

Elsa tilted her head, offering a small smile. “Then you should be fine with a little pony tail.”

A small smile spread across his face, "Thanks." The shapeshifter then stood up, careful not to accidentally make the bed shift to much, just in case she was still sore. "Need anything?"

Her eyes followed him as he got up. She gave a tiny, unsure smile. Wincing a little as her body was still sore. “My dignity?” she asked in jest.

Her answer took him off guard, earning her a confused look. Rhett then opened his mouth to say something but closed it with a small smirk.

When he remained silent, Elsa raised a brow. "I apologize. I collapsed in front of foreign dignitaries and made a fool of myself.. is that not recoverable? I would have thought you could shift and pounce on my runaway dignity."

A sly smile formed on his lips, "I can't pounce on something that never existed," he joked.

She went silent for a few moments. "What do you mean by that?"

He gave a small sigh, "I'm joking around, sorry if I'm confusing you"

"No I.. it's fine, I was just a little confused. Of course I have no dignity around you, you're not whom I have to put on a show for."

A small smile crossed his face, "Yeah, you can be yourself around me, unlike when around dignitaries or asshole princes"

"Yet, I still have to face them tomorrow..." she trailed off with a sigh.

Rhett went back to her side and reached for her hand, "Well, I'll be by your side. No matter what happens."

Seeing his hand offered to her, she took it without a thought and shook her head. "I wouldn't want to put you through that. I'm a royal, it's my duty to Arendelle. Not yours."

He gave it a small squeeze before shrugging, "I mean.. being with you anyway sure beats just wandering around the castle aimlessly"

She laughed lightly, then leaned in. "And you'll scare away all those asshole princes who want to marry me?"

Rhett eased himself back onto the bed, "Hey, I can be pretty intimidating when I want to be."

"I don't doubt it."

"Ok, if you want something intimidating, try an elk.. god those things..." He said with a small shudder.

"Perhaps, we mostly have reindeer rather than elk, but I'm sure you shapeshifting would be just as terrifying," she replied.

"Yeah, I guess. But then again, if I did so, we'd be in more trouble than we are now..."He said with a small chuckle. However it soon faded, "Do you know who sent those men..?"

“No,” she sighed and chewed her lip.

His gaze darkened, "Drakkar.. the assassins had the Diran crest on their shoulders.."

“... How did he know I was holding a ball? Spies?” she asked, sitting up straighter. Her eyes widened. This would mean that Arendelle would be under attack within a week or so.

"I wouldn't doubt it..." he said watching her movements, obviously somewhat worried. "Although, knowing him he won't attack right away, for all he knows, you're likely dead. If we hold the remaining assassin for long enough he'll surely come to Arendelle to scope the place out."

Elsa laid back against the pillows, running a distressed hang through her bangs. "I've single-handedly doomed Arendelle... again," she groaned.

Rhett bit his lip, unsure of what to say before scooting a bit closer to her. "Look, no matter what happens, I'll be there for you guys, ok?"

Elsa shook her head. “You’re better off running from here as far as possible. There’s always someone out there who wants me dead.”

He reached a gentle hand towards hers, "But am I? Elsa, you're the first to really treat me like a person. I don't want to lose you or anyone else here. Friends help friends."

She sighed, her eyelids falling as a wave of drowsiness began to claim her. "I'll just.. deal with it ... tomorrow..." she decided. After a minute of fighting it, she finally gave in. Her head lolled off the pillow and fell against Rhett's shoulder and chest.

Rhett's eyes widened with fear as he watched Elsa pass out, however he relaxed when he realized she had just merely fallen asleep. A small sigh escaped his lips as he looked around the room, Drakkar was coming, and they needed to be ready, but with Elsa's condition he worried she may only wear herself out more tomorrow. He'd try to get up early tomorrow and talk to Anna about the possibility of keeping Elsa in bed to regain her strength. Hesitantly he leaned back and slightly adjusted his position, laying his head on a pillow he slowly started to doze off.


	12. Chapter 12

The next morning, Anna was anxious about Elsa's well-being, so she jumped out of bed and headed over to her sister's room. She was shocked to see that the door was already open ajar. Entering the dark room, she peered in to see Elsa sleeping on Rhett; the shapeshifter's arm wrapped around her sister's waist as they slept. The princess blinked, shocked and stared in awe for a few moments before she smiled. She could hardly contain a giggle. "So cute!" she squeaked. Then, she moved closer and whispered, "I knew it."

Green eyes flew opened and Rhett lunged forward with his free arm with a cat-like hiss, nearly missing Anna's nose. However on realization it was Anna he relaxed and gave a soft sigh. "Jesus....." 

Hardly perturbed, Anna just straightened herself. "Morning to you too. So uh... when did _that_ happen?" she asked, waggling her brows.

Rhett blinked at her, "What do you mean by... ' _that_ '?"

Anna frowned at him and pointed at his position with Elsa. "You got happy hands on my sister."

He looked over before quickly pulling his arm back to his side. "I have no clue what that means but.. whatever, anyway I needed to talk to you about your sister."

Anna's eyes lit up and she took an attentive seat on the chair that was left by Elsa's bedside. "Say no more, you have my blessing!" she replied instantly. Then, the princess paused. "Wait.. she's not dying is she? You don't look so happy. Well, I would hope marrying my sister wouldn't make you unhappy!"

Rhett looked at her with a hint of irritation in his eyes. " **_No_ **. I am not marrying your sister, and thank the stars she isn't dying. But, she is very weak.. I'd recommend she stays in bed for today.. she'll need her strength for tomorrow.."

Realizing how serious this was, all her excitement left. The princess’s eyes traveled to her sleeping sister, who looked paler than usual, and sighed. “Yeah,” she agreed with a sigh. “Though, it’s going to be hard to keep her in bed. Elsa’s... more stubborn than me at times.”

"I mean... I could try to help.. I've been known to be pretty persuasive at times," he said looking back at Elsa's sleeping form. A soft sigh escaped his lips, "Also.. if you wanted to talk about what I did last night... just let me know, but please keep it confidential ok?.."

Anna nodded and made a zipping motion with her lips. "My mouth is sealed! Can't we talk about it now though?" she pouted.

Rhett shrugged, "If you wish.. erm... what exactly about it did you want to know...?"

A wide smile crossed her face again and she leaned forward. "How do you do that?! When? Can you teach me?!"

He blinked in surprise and leaned back a bit, he wasn't really used to having others so close to him, let alone asking him how he or his ability worked. "Um.. well... changing to and back from a saber tooth is just something I can do.. it's in my blood and.. as far being able to do so.. I think I've been able to do so my whole life but I never really got the chance to do so before I was... jeez.. around 10 I think..?"

Anna frowned and crossed her arms. "Darn it, why do you and Elsa get to do all the cool stuff?!"

"Trust me Anna, being able to do these things isn't all fun and games..."

"I knoooow, but I want to be able to do.. _something_! I'm so powerless!"

"Hey, at least being powerless is normal, you don't get a shit ton of people who want you dead for no reason other than that you're different," he said with a small chuckle.

“Maybe, but it would be easier to protect Elsa if I had powers...” she looked over to Elsa’s sleeping form sadly.

He sighed, "True... but that would also make you a target..."

“I don’t care!” She snapped. “I’ve spent most of my life separated from my sister. And now someone wants her dead? He’ll have to pry her from me, I dare him!” She growled, tears pricking in the corners of her eyes.

Rhett jumped back, his irises going into temporary slits. Unsure of how to diffuse the situation he chewed on his lip a bit.

Anna sighed and leaned back, wiping her eyes. “I don’t understand,” she whispered. “Why does this have to happen just after I get her back? Why won’t anyone just... leave her alone?! Things were finally peaceful and happy...”

He sighed, "I... I don't know... I some people just have a superiority complex.."

In the silence that fell between them, Elsa stirred against Rhett. She rolled into her side and rubbed an eye, squinting. “Anna?” She asked, noticing her sister’s expression. “What’s wrong? Is everything alright?”

Rhett looked over at her before looking back at Anna, gently moving to place both feet on the floor.

Anna shook her head. “Nothing,” she sighed. Then, she smiled. “Morning sis, how’re you feeling?” 

Elsa shifted into a sitting position and yawned. “Better. I don’t feel like I’m dying anymore.. what time is it?” 

"That's good.. It's around... 9:30.." Rhett said looking at a clock nearby. He gave a small sigh, he had a feeling as to what would happen next.

Elsa’s eyes widened. “Nine-thirty?! I overslept! Why didn’t you wake me earlier?!” She moved off her bed and frantically began to ready herself for the day.

Rhett gave a small snort and quickly grabbed her shoulder and tugged her back in bed, placing a hand on her chest he sighed. "You should stay in bed today, you need to regain some strength." Looking back he then saw at where exactly his hand had landed, quickly pulling it away, his eyes widened in shock, his cheeks reddening.

Elsa froze, eyes widening at how bold he was--especially considering where his hand was. However, before she could react, he'd pulled away. The queen's shocked expression changed to a glare. "How dare you?" she growled, nearly baring her teeth. She pushed herself into a sitting position. "You can't tell me what to do."

Anna frowned, crossing her arms. "You have to listen to him, Elsa. Someone just tried to poison you last night!"

Elsa's eyes shot to her sister, her glare turning ice cold. "And it's out of my system now. I'm _fine_."

Rhett gave an exasperated sigh, "Thank you, Anna.." he said before turning back to the Queen. "No. You're not. Sure the poison is out of your system, but that doesn't mean physically you're alright, you still need rest."

Elsa moved back to her feet, making a move to push passed them. "I'm _fine_ ," she repeated with a growl. "I have a _kingdom_ to run."

"A kingdom that _needs_ their Queen to be in good health!" Anna responded.

Rhett got up and blocked her from leaving, "You're not going anywhere but back to bed. _Understood_ ? You should really listen to your sister. Your kingdom needs you at _full strength_ for tomorrow.. especially with who's likely going to be visiting," Rhett growled.

Elsa straightened herself before him. A deep frown marred her face, her nose scrunching. "Then I'll meet with him and tell him to get out if he causes trouble. Now if you excuse me," she said and attempted to step around him. Again.

Rhett again blocked her path. "This is King _Drakkar_ we're talking about. What do you think he'd do if you said that to him? Leave? He'd likely give you a crossbow bolt to your _face_ as a coronation gift!"

"As if I hadn't almost taken a crossbow bolt to the face before! He doesn't scare me. I'm Queen Elsa of Arendelle and he can go if he doesn't like it!" she retorted, clearly allowing her current mood to get the best of her rather than think rationally.

Anna chewed her lip, shifting on her feet as she witnessed the argument before her.

"You're not thinking straight Elsa.. You need rest, got it?" he snarled back, he didn't want to have to use force against her, but he would if push did indeed come to shove. 

Elsa growled, balling her fist. "I won't tell you again. _Move_. I have work to do, unlike you."

"Uh.. Elsa..." Anna reached out with a hand, somehow sensing that was the wrong thing to say right now.

A low rumble emitted from Rhett's throat. He'd had enough, with one swift movement he grabbed Elsa and slung her over his shoulder and carried her back to her bed, setting her down despite whatever attempts to dissuade him. Once he figured she was in a good spot, he smoothly shifted into a saber tooth and lay on Elsa's waist in an attempt to keep her from moving. "You're staying here," he snarled at her. 

"I-" she cut off with a frustrated growl the moment he swung her over his shoulder. She pounded on his back and kicked her legs at his front. In hardly a moment, she found herself back on her bed with a large cat lounging on her. "Are you _serious_?!" she spat. "Is this your idea of resting?! Because it feels like prison to me!"

"Uh.. I'm uh... gunna leave you two alone," Anna said absently, trying to hide the amused smile on her face as she slipped out of the room.

Rhett didn't even glance at Anna as she left, he wasn't letting Elsa out of his sight if she was going to act like this. She was definitely boar headed alright.. "You have two options ahead of you, keep acting up and having a 500 pound cat resting on you to keep _you_ down, _OR_ you can stop acting like a damn child and get. Some. _Rest_. I'm only doing this because I want to help you.. ok? I don't want to see you get hurt alright?"

Elsa halted her struggles and settled for crossing her arms and grumbling under her breath. Something about a "stupid 500 pound fur ball".

"Also, I am _not_ a child." 

A small smirk crossed his face, "Oh really?" he asked sarcastically. "Who's the one who's being all whiny about getting some rest?"

Elsa turned her head, refusing to look at him. Her face flushed, from both exertion and embarrassment. "At least I didn't grope the Queen's chest," she grumbled.

"That was an accident," he grumbled back his ears flattening against his head, "I'm sorry I did that, by the time I had realized where my hand went, it was too late"

Elsa sighed, slumping back into the bed sheets. "No, I'm sorry. You're right. I should rest... I just," she paused, chewing her bottom lip. "Once I'm up I have a hard time falling back asleep. It's a curse."

The cat seemed to relax a bit at hearing those words, "Well.. do you want me to stay by you until you do fall asleep?"

Elsa's cheeks darkened. "Maybe the fluff will help..."

Rhett gave a small chuckle, "Alright then." Repositioning himself, he climbed up onto the bed and hesitantly crawled over to her side, occasionally glancing up at her.

Not having anything else to say, given the situation, Elsa just watched him climb onto the bed. Once he was settled, she gently curled into him and closed her eyes, allowing the soft fur to brush against her face.

Once she was settled, he gave a small stretch, extending a massive, dinner plate sized paw and unsheathing the obsidian claws that lay concealed within.

Elsa peeked open an eye when Rhett stretched, catching sight of his paws. With a sigh, she burrowed into him further, feeling more relaxed.


	13. Chapter 13

Prince Brynjar was impatiently walking around the castle, upon seeing Anna, he stormed over, "Where is the Queen? She and I have important things to discuss!" 

Anna halted, peering over at him. She frowned. "Oh you. You're still here," she commented with a frown. "My sister has been instructed to rest for today. All of her appointments are cancelled, but if it's a discussion that is as important as you say, you can chat it over with me."

He frowned in return, "Bah! I'm not going to waste my breath on you, ' _ Princess _ ', you're a disgrace to Arendelle's royal bloodline by being infatuated with a simple ice harvester. Someone like your sister would do well to fix that, if she merely would accept my offer to unite our kingdoms.." he grumbled before storming past.

Anna pursed her lips and ran after him, halting him in his tracks. "Look mister," she growled, pointing a finger at him as she blocked his path. "My sister was just  _ poisoned  _ last night, she needs to rest if she's going to continue running Arendelle otherwise she'll run herself to the ground, no thanks to men like you. So, whatever you need to say to her, you can say to me and I'll make sure she receives the message. That is... if it's as  _ dire  _ as you say." The princess placed her hand on her hips, then paused. "Wait.. unite our kingdoms?"

Brynjar glared daggers at her. "Yes, unite our kingdoms, if my kingdom and Arendelle were to unite and be able to fend off any incoming armies, the Queen would be quite useful in 'aiding' if you will."

"Unite how? You want to use my sister as a  _ weapon _ ?" she growled. "How dare you?!"

"Not  _ her _ !" He snapped back, "She is too valuable to be simply tossed into battle, let alone frail."

"Too frail? Elsa's one of the strongest people I know!" she retorted. Then, she furrowed her brows, confused. "Wait, not her? Then  _ whom  _ do you mean?"

He gave a small chuckle, "My, you really are dense aren't you. Her  _ children _ , they'd be excellent warriors, with the gifts of ice and snow as well as the training by the finest soldiers back home."

Anna sputtered, her face turning red. "What... her children..." Her eyes widened the moment it clicked. The princess balled her fists at her sides and clenched her teeth. "You're telling me that you just want my sister to marry you just do you can use her as a... a... _ breeding machine _ for military purposes?!  _ Get. out _ ," she growled. "I don't want to see you anywhere near my sister.  _ Ever _ !"

Upon hearing the commotion down the hall, Rhett quietly left Elsa to rest before shifting back into a human and going to see what was happening. Who was Anna raising her voice at? Upon seeing Brynjar and hearing Anna's last sentence, he narrowed his eyes. "I'd listen to her if I were you, otherwise you're likely to get a black eye," Rhett growled moving to stand beside Anna. 

"What are you going to do about it?" Brynjar snapped back, his full focus on Rhett now. The shapeshifter loomed over him and growled, "You wanna find out?" The foreign prince backed up a bit and turned, not without giving the two of them one last dirty look before leaving. Once he was out of earshot, Rhett turned to Anna, "What the hell was that about?" 

Anna clenched her teeth, her eyes trained on the prince as he walked away. She had to make sure he wouldn't be going to her sister's private quarters. The princess then whirled on her heels to Rhett, clearly still miffed by the encounter. "Stupid entitled prince thinks he can barge into Elsa's room and demand she marry him. Not only that, but he said he wanted to unite our kingdoms and that Elsa would be 'aiding' him," she told him. "Ugh..." 

He looked from her to Brynjar and back again. "What a prick... you can't marry anyone you just met! Royal or not," he snorted. "Hope he doesn't come back..."

"Not only that, he implied by aiding him it would be with her children. He was implying he would only be using Elsa as his.. his breeding machine. How dare he?!" she growled, making herself see red all over again.

Rhett stopped dead in his tracks before looking back at where Brynjar had been. "Well then... he'd better not come back if he knows what's good for him..." he growled. "What does he think she is? A damned object?"

"Worse than that. I want to puke thinking about it! Is this what all her suitors think when they try to court her? If so, ugh I'm all for my sister staying single then.."

"That makes two of us..." he grumbled as he started back to Elsa's room. "Last I saw, Elsa finally fell asleep, but I don't think she'll be out for  _ too  _ long."

Anna turned to him, shocked. "Wow. It usually takes  _ hours  _ for her to get back to sleep, if at all. How did you do it?"

"I have absolutely  _ no  _ idea to be honest with you..." he said with a shrug.

"Darn, I was hoping you could give me some tips. Elsa gets restless a lot. Has nightmares too," she frowned. 

A small frown crossed his face as they entered the Queen's chamber . "Yeah.. I noticed... really wish I could help.. all I can really do is give advice but other than that..."

Anna shrugged. "It's alright. It's nothing new. She's just been.. dealing with it for a while."

"Yikes... I know how that's like.. and it is  _ not  _ fun... some nights you can't even sleep because you don't want to have the same dream over and over again."

Elsa groaned in her sleep. After tossing and turning, her eyes fluttered open. "What..?"

Anna sighed. "I wish I knew how to help."

A smile crossed his face, when he saw she had stirred, "Hey there sleepyhead.. feel a bit better?"

Elsa frowned. "Sleepyhead?" She shuddered and winced, placing a hand on her stomach. "A bit. Though, I think my stomach is acting up.."

Anna was instantly at her bedside. "Do you need tea or anything?"

"I can grab the pills for you if you'd like, Noctus told me how big of a dose you should be taking."

Looking to Rhett, she offered him a tiny, grateful smile. "If you wouldn't mind?"

"Of course," he said before swiftly grabbing a couple pills and returning to her side.

"I'll go get a glass of water," Anna offered and ran out. A few moments later, she returned with a full glass.

A few moments later, Rhett gently put an arm behind Elsa, ready to help her ease back into bed if need be. "Noctus said you'd likely be sore for at least today if not a bit tomorrow as well.."

Elsa downed the pill and sighed, rubbing her temples. "I really do not need this right now..."

Hesitantly he put a hand on her shoulder, gently squeezing it. "I'd say 'ever', but if you want to feel like your stomach is being punched a lot, I can help with that," he joked, a small playful smile on his face.

Elsa glared up at him for a moment before closing her eyes and shaking her head. “Actually, I’d prefer you punching my gut over this.”

He gave a small chuckle in response. "While you're up, do you want us to grab anything for you to eat? If you think you can keep it down at least."

“... That would probably be best. I need something in my stomach, at least.” Elsa bit her lip.

Anna perked up. “I know just the thing! Be right back!” The Princess darted our to grab Elsa’s favorite ‘I’m not feeling good’ meal.

Rhett watched her go a bit confused, but merely gave a small shrug, "Never thought you'd be brought breakfast in bed?"

“Once in a blue moon, Anna will,” she replied, then laid back down. She squeezed her eyes shut. “I won’t get used to this anytime soon..”

"Oh well, enjoy it while it lasts I guess." Rhett said maneuvering so he could be next to her. "You slept pretty soundly last night..."

She looked away, running a hand through her hair. “Did I? I must have been exhausted... Between my encounter with Prince Brynjar and being poisoned, I can’t say I’m shocked.”

He nodded, "Yeah, I guess being poisoned takes it out of you huh?" A small sigh escaped his lips, "Seems he had a few... 'choice words' to your sister earlier..."

That got her attention. She glanced at him with a frown. “Anna talked to him?”

He nodded, "Said he was adamant about seeing you, despite what had happened last night."

Elsa sighed. “I thought so... though, I made it quite clear that I wasn’t interested in his.. offer.”

"Yeah, seems he told her what his plans were," he said with a small, disgusted growl.

“He merely proposed to me,” she said. “Rhett... what did he say to Anna? What did he say that made both of you so angry?”

He sighed, barely able to even repeat his words. "In short he... He was going to.... He was going to turn you into his 'breeding machine', from Anna's account."

“...” Elsa’s face paled. She felt sick. “ _ What _ ?”

As Anna returned, she heard where the conversation had gone and growled. “He probably thought nothing of you the moment he laid eyes on you and your powers besides how he’d marry you and all the ways he could bed you,” she chimed in, nearly dropping the tray of food she had.

Rhett went silent for a few moments. A frown formed on his face, "I fucking  **HATE** people like him," he snarled. "People who treat others like objects. It's not right at all."

Elsa sighed, resigned. “Unfortunately, it’s exactly the type of men I have to deal with. Whether it’s an ambassador or a suitor...”

He sighed, "Still,  _ nobody  _ should be treated like that.."

Elsa looked down and chewed her lip. “Perhaps some people were just meant to be treated as such.”

He whirled around to face her, a hint of horror in his eyes, "No. No matter what they are, human, mage or shapeshifter, they still shouldn't be treated like that. It's... it's a horrible experience.."

Elsa shook her head. “Prince Brynjar’s... intentions may make us ill, but I’ve resigned myself to this. Sometimes, I think I deserve nothing better. He wants to use me as a military tactic? Most foreign royals and ambassadors would think that way. I’m different, after all.” 

Anna put the tray down and took Elsa by the arm. “You take that back. You don’t deserve someone like him. You deserve someone who appreciates you for who you are, someone who is understanding and  _ kind _ . Someone who is a basic, kind human being! Someone who loves you!”

"Elsa.. you deserve  _ so  _ much more than that.. you don't want to fight unless you absolutely  _ have  _ to. You deserve someone who loves you for who you are, not what. I mean, isn't there a saying that goes 'Brains over Brawn'?"

She frowned. “Neither if you are understanding. I don’t have the liberties most people have, to marry for love. I have to marry for the good of the kingdom, and if a future prince has ill intentions towards me but has great overall intentions for Arendelle? Then, so be it. In this case, I’ll have to go with the best of the worst.”

“Elsa...” Anna sat on the bed next to her and took her sister’s hand. “You’re the queen. You have the power to change that, to break the mold. Screw a thousand year tradition! And if your ice dress has anything to say about it, I know you’re all about breaking tradition!”

"She has a point, don't think I've ever seen any royal with such a loose outfit. Most I've met were always so prim and proper no matter what."

“Well, then both of you can rest. I’ve already rejected him and I have no problem doing it again. As of right now, marriage is not in the cards for me.”

"I just wish the other kingdoms would accept that," he grumbled before leaning against the wall.

“I shoot ice from my fingertips, of course they wouldn’t accept no for an answer.”

He sighed, exasperated. "They really should... According to Drakkar that's a good reason to start wars.."

At the mention of Drakkar, Elsa stood up. “I have to make preparations.”

Rhett shot her a glare, "Don't you dare, you're staying in bed for today, remember?"

She groaned. “I already slept!”

"For an hour! You'll need more than that."

She sighed. “You’re both horrible, I’m not tired.”

“Can you at least just relax? We just don’t want you doing any work that could worsen your condition,” Anna suggested.

Rhett calmly walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. A small smirk crossed his face as he gently pushed Elsa back onto the bed. "I'll turn back into a cat if I have to."

“And I’ll turn you into a catsicle if I have to,” she retorted, glaring up at him. “Please, I don’t want to go back to sleep.”

"You don't have to sleep, all you have to do is simply stay in bed. I can bring you some books if you'd like."

She sighed. “Alright.”

He gave her a small smile, "I'll be right back, ok?"

A couple minutes later he returned with an armful of books. "Think this'll hold ya?"

“Maybe,” she commented. “You can just place them on the nightstand.”

He walked over and did so. "Well, if you want or need more, I can always go back and grab some, ok?"

Elsa looked at the pile of books. "This should be enough."

"Ok, cool. Erm.. I'll be right back," he said before heading out and down the hallway. A couple moments later he returned with a couple books in his hands and a small handful of art supplies. "You don't mind if I sit with you, do you?"

Elsa looked up at him, surprised. She had just grabbed a book and flipped to the first page. "Oh, yeah I don't mind. Not at all."

A small smile crossed his face, "Alright then." Gingerly, he sat down on the edge of the bed with a small glance in her direction before opening his sketchpad and starting to doodle.

Elsa smiled over at him for a moment before getting engrossed into her book. 

Anna skipped back in with a smile on her face and placed the tray on the nightstand. "Some light toast for Her Majesty with a couple pieces of chocolate on the side if she can handle it!"

Rhett jumped a bit before frantically looking at his sketch and giving a relieved sigh. "Holy hell...." he said to himself, he looked up at Anna, "I think chocolate should be ok for her.. I don't recall Noctus saying anything about her not having it.." 

Anna glanced over at him. "Well, some light toast is usually what Elsa likes when she has an upset stomach. I just added some pieces of chocolate for comfort food. After everything. Of course, we can eat it just fine regardless! I was just referring to if her stomach can handle it right now." 

Elsa smiled lightly. "Thanks Anna. You know just the thing, always. I should be okay eating a couple pieces of chocolate."

"Alright then, you know your stomach better than anyone else." Rhett looked at them for a brief moment before going back to the sketch he had been working on, however he was interrupted by a small grumble from his own stomach. "Heh.. guess I should go get something to eat as well.."

Elsa placed down her book. "Would you like me to send a servant to fetch you some food from the kitchen?"

"No, I would like you to stay in bed and rest. I can get it, I'll be back," he said before standing up and heading out, leaving his sketchpad wide open for the sisters to see. On the page he was working on were a couple of small sketches, one of some type of snake, and another work in progress sketch of a woman, possibly one of the sisters.

As Elsa watched him leave, Anna’s eyes peered over to his sketch book. She was awed by his talent. The snake looked so realistic. Then, the beginning of another sketch caught her attention. She picked it up. “Hey, Elsa. She kinda looks like you, don’t you think?”

Elsa squinted her eyes and shook her head. “You’re seeing things. Why would he want to sketch me?”

Anna raised a brow at her sister and placed a hand on her hip as if to say ‘ _ really _ ?’ “uh, because you’re  _ gorgeous _ ? Duh?”


	14. Chapter 14

When Rhett got back about 10 minutes later, he stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes widening in shock at seeing Anna looking through his sketches. "Uh... you uh... you may not want to do that.." he said, his cheeks flushing a bit red. Amongst all the sketches of local flora and fauna there were also some sketches of people from around the village, but there a good majority of the human sketches in there were of the sisters, Kristoff and some of the castle staff.

Anna looked up at him, her eyes wide. She was astonished and in awe. “You.. you  _ drew  _ all of these? These are amazing!”

He gave a small, nervous chuckle, "No... no they're not... they're mediocre at best..."

Anna shook her head. “You’re insane.” She flipped back to the first picture of Elsa she found. “I swear this is exactly what my sister looks like. You draw her even  _ better  _ than the royal painters do!”

Rhett stiffened, his face reddened. "S-sorry about that... I should've asked before just sketching you... either of you... if you want I can erase them or throw them away.."

Anna pulled the sketchbook away from him and held it against her chest. “NO.”

Rhett stopped, confused. "You... you sure..?"

“YES. Very sure! Don’t you DARE erase these!”

"Erm... okay..." he said before gingerly sitting on the bed, again glancing at Elsa just to make sure he didn't do anything wrong.

Elsa blinked. She’d set aside her book in the meantime. A blush dusted her cheeks. “I didn’t know that was me. Anna’s right, you shouldn’t erase them. You clearly have talent.”

"Uh... thanks.. but it was still wrong of me to draw you guys without your consent. Next time, I'll ask."

“I may have to disagree.” Elsa glanced at Anna who slowly gave Rhett his sketchbook back, but not without taking away his eraser. She gave him a look that said “no funny business.”

“Like writers who journal, everything in your sketchbook is private. If you want to draw someone, draw them. What’s not ok is someone else going through your sketchbook,” she finished with a glare at Anna.

The shapeshifter shrunk back a bit at the look before taking his sketchbook back and flipping to the page he had been on, analyzing the sketch on it for a couple moments before continuing to work at it with his pencil. Occasionally glancing over at the two next to him. After a little while he gave a sigh and simply closed the sketchbook and set it to the side. "I can take your dishes back if you're done if you'd like."

Elsa, having eaten only half of her meal before her stomach began to complain, had laid back down again with a closed book in hand. She nodded. "I'm finished.."

A small, worried frown crossed his face. "Alright then.. I'll be back," he said before taking the used dishes back. A couple minutes later, he came back with a small band around his wrist. "Feel a bit better?"

“A little,” she admitted. “Just a bit sore.” She laid back with a frustrated sigh. “So many things need to get done.”

Rhett sat down next to her, "And you'll get them done once you're better, ok?"

“I can’t sit here knowing there’s so much work to be done...”

Gently he started to run his fingers through her bangs, "Today will go by faster if you just relax and try to sleep, ok?"

Elsa closed her eyes, welcoming the familiar touch of his hands in her hair; something she hadn’t felt since she was a child, when her mother would stroke her hair till she fell asleep.

“It’s harder than you think.”

"I know.. but I'm here for you if you need anything, alright? If push comes to shove, we can be insomniacs together"

She squinted her eyes at him. “I’m not going to make you stay up too just because I can’t.”

"What if I'm the one who can't fall asleep, hm?" he said with a small smile.

“I highly doubt that, you’re like a cat.”

Rhett gave a small laugh, "Not always.. Even before you came along I was still pretty active during the day."

"Then why wouldn't you be able to fall asleep?"

"Just.. things that I wished I didn't remember is all.. I also had to be on my toes all the time in case a wolf or bear showed up"

Elsa raised a brow. "Surely you know that a wolf or a bear won't be lurking in the castle."

"Of course. Animals are easy, they try to fight you. People are harder, sometimes they try to be your friend first."

Elsa blinked. "Well, I suppose they're one in the same for me. Everyone tries to fight me." 

"It's because we're different. We don't atone to the norm of humanity"

Elsa sighed. "Unfortunately..." 

Feeling like she was encroaching on a private moment, Anna gave them both a smile and made an excuse about Kristoff and saving him from Olaf before she ducked out. 

Rhett glanced over at her as she left. "So... need anything else..?"

"No... I think I'm okay."

"You sure?" he asked somewhat worriedly.

Elsa shook her head. “Why? You think I’m lying?”

"What? N-No!" he stammered, "I... I just want to make sure you're going to be ok is all..."

Elsa gave him a small smile. "If I wasn't okay, I'm pretty sure I would not be here right now."

He sighed, "You know what I mean..."

Elsa frowned. “No, I don’t. Actually. I don’t even know why you’re still here even though I let you go once you were healed.”

Rhett bit his lip and glanced away. "I.... I just don't want to see you get hurt is all.. I mean... you're the first person that ever really seemed to care about me... and... I don't want to lose that I guess..." He grew a bit quiet the words sounding more than weird coming from him, he'd always been by himself, he liked it that way but now? Everything had changed. All in all, he wasn't sure of anything any more. Nothing was familiar, Elsa was the closest thing he had to the others back in Dira.

Elsa paused, her eyes widened. Of course, she could relate. How long had she felt alone, not even allowing herself to look at her sister. How long had she feared to be judged as a monster to the point that just the thought of it would send her into a frenzy? Alone, when her parents were the only ones who she thought cared about her before they died. Then afterward, was convinced Anna despised her. The look in Rhett’s eyes is all too familiar. 

Elsa leaned forward and rested a gentle hand on his cheek. “It’s alright,” she said. “I understand. You don’t need to explain yourself to me. I just thought... well, that you’d be itching to leave a castle.”

Rhett initially stiffed a bit at the sudden touch but relaxed a bit, in all honesty just her touch seemed to soothe him a bit. His shoulders loosened as he sighed again. "Yeah.. honestly.. so did I.. I mean.. the only other castle I'd been in prior to all this was the one in Dira. But Arendelle... Arendelle is different.."

Strands of his hair tickled her skin and she carefully brushed them out of his face. “Well,” she started with a light chuckle. “I’m sure Dira has a lot more staff. I like to keep it... simple here. But, I’m sensing that’s not the reason.”

He gently shook his head, "No... I mean Arendelle doesn't have the hustle and bustle Dira does which I do enjoy. But.. at least here I can at least feel free.. and not have to worry about being locked up in a cell and only having food every couple days..."

Elsa froze, frowning. “You never really told me what you endured from Drakar. Did he really... do that?”

Rhett bit his lip and gave a subtle nod. "Yeah... he.. treats shapeshifters like animals... 'beasts of burden' is what he sometimes referred to us as.."

“I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve that. He’ll get his... eventually,” she replied. Then, she reached out and cupped his face. “You’re not a beast of burden.”

He gave a small sigh and rested his face in her hand for a couple moments before pulling back a bit, "Honestly.. I never thought I'd live past twenty. I... I knew some who weren't as lucky.... Drakkar doesn't care about age when it comes to using shapeshifters for other things. Except for.. well... other things..."

Elsa frowned, but didn’t pull her hands away. “What other things?” 

"You... you don't want to hear it Elsa.... trust me..."

She shook her head. “Tell me. Tell me so I can figure out how to free them.”

He blinked, before looking away, "He's been  _ breeding  _ us for certain qualities... mainly so he can keep using us as slaves." Rhett then shook his head, "Elsa.. Drakkar is a madman, without conscience or mercy. He has the largest army in the region, not even your cryokinesis could stop him, if anything it makes you more of a target."

She then pulled away from him and stood up, pacing to the window that overlooked the fjord. “I don’t care. That’s no life for anyone to live. Perhaps your fellow shapeshifters don’t have the power to stand up against him, but I do. I have an army and diplomatic influence.”

"If only you knew..." Rhett mumbled to himself before turning back to her. "The only thing you'll influence with him is how he  _ kills  _ you. The royals of another kingdom tried that a couple years before I left and when he came back from a 'diplomatic visit' with them. He came back with their heads."

“I’m different,” she replied, rounding on him. Her blue eyes flashed with determination and an ire she never felt before. Not at Rhett. “Let him come. He’s never dealt with someone like me before.” 

He sighed and looked back at her, "Your determination may get you killed.. He won't care if you try to start anything, he'll just plant a crossbow bolt or a bullet between your eyes" 

“You don’t think I can do it? That I can make him bend his knees in surrender to me and free his slaves?” Elsa growled. Then, she shook her head and sighed. “Fine. If I don’t have your support, I’ll do it myself.”

Rhett jumped back at her sudden outburst, his green eyes wide with surprise. "E-Elsa...." He breathed, as he shrunk back a bit.

When Elsa turned to him and noticed how he’s shrunk back, her eyes widened. Frost lingered on the tips of her fingers. She clenched them into fists. “I-I’m Sorry.”

Rhett didn't say anything at first, obviously wary. Slowly he started to relax a bit, but didn't take his gaze off of her. "Just... try to get some rest for tomorrow.. ok?" He said before starting to leave.

Elsa swallowed, lips trembling. “Rhett...” she called out for him, barely above a whisper. “I’m  _ sorry _ . I didn’t mean to scare you...” she trailed off, wrapping her arms around herself.

Slowly he turned around upon hearing his name. His eyes widened a bit before he hesitantly took a couple steps back towards her. His steps became less and less wary as he approached her. Reaching out, he put a gentle hand on her shoulder.

Elsa jerked away, frost accumulating beneath her feet. “No don’t...” she sucked in a trembling breath.

Rhett didn't move, "Easy.. just relax.. ok?"

Elsa shook her head. “It’s dangerous!”

"So? I can handle danger, ok?" 

“No, not this danger. I almost  _ killed  _ you. Please, just leave,” she begged.

Rhett's shoulders drooped before he looked around, unsure or what to do. He then sighed, and started away, "If you need me, let me know. Ok?"

Elsa bit her lip and nodded. She couldn’t look at him for fear of losing control. “O-Okay..”

With one last glance, he left her room and went back to his, hoping she'd calm down some point later.

About ten minutes later, Anna barged into his room with a red face. Eyes wide with indignation. “What did you do?”

Rhett jumped in surprise at the sudden intrusion and whirled around to face her. "I didn't do anything.. ok? All I did was tell her about what Drakkar does to people like me, and then... she got really snappy when I tried to tell her what would happen to her if she tried..."

Anna squinted her eyes at him, placing her hands on her hips. “Then why is her door locked?!”

Rhett stepped back, his eyes widening. "She... she was reminding me of him... So I tried to distance myself... but she must've realized I was scared and well..."

Anna calmed in understanding. “Oh...”

Slowly, Rhett seemed to relax a bit. "I just don't want her doing something that may result in her getting..." He trailed off and looked away.

“Her getting what?”

"Killed.... or worse..."

Anna frowned. “What’s worse than death?”

"Slavery," he said before gently wrapping one arm around himself.

“That wouldn’t happen to her. Not Elsa.”

"Drakkar's had people like her as slaves before. If he got half a chance, he'd do it again."

Anna covered her mouth. “No. Elsa wouldn’t let him.”

Rhett sighed, "Well... if he tries anything tomorrow.. we'll see I guess.."

“Tomorrow..?” Her eyes widened.

He nodded, "Yeah... though I doubt he's coming with a whole army"

“Oh.. no wonder Elsa’s so stressed.”

Rhett sighed. "And it's all my fault..."

“How would that be your fault?”

"Because I left Dira... I'm a fugitive.. all because of what I am..."

“I’m sure that’s not true. There’s no way he didn’t hear about Elsa.”

"Then how come you guys hadn't heard of him?"

“I-I don’t know. Usually Elsa is the one that knows about all the kingdoms. She doesn’t know?”

He shook his head, "No, she didn't"

Anna frowned. “That’s odd. He’s never been here either.”

"Probably for the best.. if she was younger and Drakkar had been here, he likely would've had his men kidnap her.."

Anna covered her mouth, tears welling in her eyes. “He wouldn’t.”

Rhett gave a small sigh, "He would... that's how he's become a practical unstoppable force.. raiding other kingdoms for any shapeshifters or mages.."

“Even if he kidnapped a crown princess?!”

He nodded, "He'd use that fact to his advantage. Kidnap them and force the other kingdom to surrender otherwise he'd kill her."

Anna frowned. “How hasn’t he started a world war?”

"Maybe he knows his limits.. could be why he only targets smaller kingdoms..."

Anna took in a breath. “But with Elsa on his side... he won’t have many limits.”

"Depends on what he wants her for.. Slave, war machine... or worse.."

“A breeding whore?” Anna murmured, biting her lip.

He glanced at her. "Well.. yeah that.. or.. a trophy...."

Anna’s eyes darkened. “I won’t let him touch her.”

Rhett gave a small laugh, "Something tells me Kristoff and I will be holding you two back from tearing his throat out.."

“You won’t be holding  _ me  _ back!”

"Yeah. I'll let Kristoff do that," he said with a somewhat playful smirk.

“Kristoff can’t hold me back either!”

"Guess there's only one option left... laying on you!"

“No!”

A smirk crossed his lips, "No...? Then you'd better start runnin!" He said with a playful snarl before lunging at Anna, missing purposefully.

“Eek!” Anna made to dash to the door, but stopped. “Rude!” She pouted, then relaxed. Her arms went limp at her sides. “I’m sorry for blaming you earlier. Elsa locking her door is a bit of a.. sore spot.”

Rhett stopped, "It's alright.. I know now.. I mean.. every now and again people just need some time to themselves."

“Yes, but Elsa’s.. different. In the past, her door was locked for 13 years... Did she ever tell you that? That our parents locked her away to protect her and told her to stay away from me to protect me?”

Rhett blinked in surprise, "N-no... I mean she had said something similar, but she didn't say how long she had done so.. But from my understanding.. she did it herself.. at least keeping to her room. So she wouldn't hurt you."

Anna nodded. “After our parents died, she thought that’s what was best. Only because that’s what our parents thought was best. I think it took a mental toll on her, even the times I did see her leave her room, she’d walk around like a dog with its tail between her legs. Eyes wide, as it something would jump at her at any moment. She always had those stupid gloves on, as if that’s what stopped her magic. But.. I didn’t know at the time. I just thought she hated me. Every time she locks her door, I’m afraid she’ll revert back to her old habits.” 

He bit his lip in thought. "Well... to be honest... I was the same way.. Drakkar always made it known that if we dared try to resist him, whether it be shifting or otherwise, he'd 'make an example' of us.. It wasn't until I was able to escape, and live my own life that I realized how... amazing it can be to be myself.. I just had to make sure I distanced myself from others to prevent harming anyone, or them harming me." 

“Hm, so then you understand each other. At least,” Anna mused.

Rhett nodded, "Yeah.. I guess so..."

“Anyways, I’ll leave you be. Sorry.. for uh barging in.”

"No worries, you're just worried about her.. I am too.. especially with what's going on right now."

Anna nodded. “I should let you relax though, I’ll just go bother Elsa in a little bit to make sure she’s actually resting.”

He gave a small laugh, "Alright.. thanks, and uh.. let me know how she's doing please..."

Anna nodded with a small smile. “I will,” she replied before taking her leave.


	15. Chapter 15

About an hour later, after she was able to calm herself enough to keep the ice at bay, Elsa found herself in the library searching for anything about Drakkar she could find. 

Sadly there was no information to be found. Rhett just happened to pass by and noticed her in the library, "Hey..."

Elsa jumped, having not expected someone to come by. The library had been quiet for some time now. The queen bit her lip and turned her back to place a book back on the shelf. “Hey...”

"Sorry, didn't mean to frighten you.. um... you doin ok?"

She looked down. “It’s alright. I was just... doing some research.”

"You sure you should be on your feet..? If you wanted I could have just gotten a book or two for you."

Elsa frowned. “No, I didn’t want to scare you... again. Besides, I’m capable of walking to the library and back.”

"Ah.. alright then.. um... what are you researching?"

“Oh.. I was trying to see if I can find anything on Drakkar.”

Rhett stopped and blinked, "D-Drakkar...?"

“Yeah.. I mean if he’s going to be coming to Arendelle anyway, I’d like to be somewhat prepared. However... there’s nothing on him in here anyway..”

"Huh.. perhaps your parents didn't want anything to do with him?"

She frowned. “I don’t even know if they knew about him.”

"I mean.. they could have.. partially why they didn't tell you could've been because they didn't want you to freak out about him..."

“As future queen, it was still important for me to know. Now I have nothing.”

Rhett frowned in thought. "I mean... what would you want to know about him? Maybe I could tell you something?"

“I don’t know, just something. Something would be better than nothing. I came here because I don’t want to trouble you with it. Besides, you’ve made it clear that I have no chance, so what’s the point?”

He looked away and gently wrapped an arm around himself. "Sorry..."

Elsa sighed and moved to sit on a nearby couch, burying her face in her hands. “I’m lost.”

Rhett sat next to her and gently placed a hand on her shoulder before giving it a gentle squeeze in an attempt to comfort her.

She glanced up at him. “I’m sorry, about earlier... I understand if you want to leave.”

He shrugged, "I know you didn't mean it out of malice. It just.. took me by surprise is all."

Elsa shook her head. “I still scared you. I can’t take that back.”

"So? What matters is that you didn't mean to"

“Whether I meant it or not, I could have hurt you..  _ again _ !”

"Well you didn't. That's what matters.. ok?"

Elsa frowned at him. “I’ve hurt many people by accident. I scared you regardless. I can never forgive myself for that. Perhaps it’s best if Drakkar takes me once he gets here.”

Rhett's eyes widened, " _ What _ ? Have you gone nuts? Elsa.. if he takes you, you know what'll happen right?"

She curled her legs up to her chest and stared off. “I’m aware. That won’t change my mind. It’s not like I haven’t thought of... ending it before.”

"You're not going to be the only one he goes after... Anna and Kristoff are going to be next on his list after he's done with you, whether that be killing you, enslaving you, or turning you into a war machine.. he's not going to be done with Arendelle..."

Elsa squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed her temples. “Then I don’t know what to do. I fight, I lose. I surrender, I lose.” She stood and paced. “Then what do you suggest? I run?! I’m done running. It’s all I’ve ever done.”

Rhett bit his lip in thought. A light went off in his head, "Well... we could try something else... we could try to intimidate him for now at least. But in time he is likely to at least raid some of the outer settlements of the kingdom. Which gives us time to get some outside help.."

“He’s not going to be intimidated by me. Why would he be?”

"Not alone, no. But your sister can be pretty.... spontaneous.. if you catch my drift.."

Elsa raised a brow. “Spontaneous yes, but intimidating? She trips over her own feet.”

"Sure scared the hell outta me earlier today."

“She intimidated you?”

He nodded, "So did you. Both times, earlier today and when we first met."

Elsa frowned. “Both times were different. Earlier today I just had.. strong feelings. I’m sorry.”

"See? You were able to do so, if you did that same thing tomorrow with Drakkar, he may back down."

“And that wouldn’t anger him?” She pursed her lips. “If I can’t fight him, then I can’t intimidate him.” Elsa shook her head. “What you said earlier? It was probably right, I was in over my head.”

Rhett sighed, "What about getting some outside help?"

She began to pace again. “And how would I do that with so little time?”

He stood up, "Look. He's going to be here only to scope Arendelle out. He thinks you're dead, you can use that to your advantage, it'll make him have to go all the way back to Dira, figure out a plan to take Arendelle over through force, get all of his troops ready, and come back. That's at least nine months, perhaps even a year, and knowing him he's not going to instantly wipe Arendelle, he's going to toy with us. Occasional raid here and there, he's going to test our defenses until he finds a weak point. We just can't give him that weak point."

Elsa sighed. She had to admit Rhett had a point, Drakkar wouldn’t be able to organize an army over night. “Who would help Arendelle against a tyrant then?”

Rhett shrugged, " Does Arendelle have any close allies?"

"Close allies? A couple, but half of them cut ties from Arendelle. Especially Weselton, though, that was my own doing..." she admitted.

"Well if you must have had good reason to cut ties with them then.." he muttered, "Anyway, I'd at least send a letter to ask what allies you have if they'd be willing to help."

"I've already written out letters..." Elsa bit her lip and sighed. "Look, I know you said you didn't want me working and to rest. Well, it's impossible to rest. I've already drafted a couple of letters. I can't just sit here and relax when a tyrant is on his way."

Rhett glanced away in thought before something went off in his head, "Here.. I think I know how to help." He sat back on one of the sofas and gently patted the seat next to him. "Here."

Elsa furrowed her brows. "How is that going to help?"

"Just lay on your stomach, ok?"

She glanced at him and back at the sofa incredulously. Finally, she gave in with a low sigh and moved to lay on her stomach.

Rhett moved to the edge of the sofa to give her room before advancing to somewhat straddle her around her knees, "Do you trust me?"

Elsa tensed and gripped the edge of the sofa, digging her nails into the fabric; ready to bail. It wasn't until he spoke that she paused and closed her eyes. "O-Okay... but no funny business or you'll find yourself a sabertooth popsicle."

He blinked in confusion. "Why do you think I would try anything..?" He said before sighing. "Anyway..." he trailed off before gently placing his hands on her shoulders and slowly knead at her muscles. "Tell me if it starts to hurt, ok?"

Elsa bit her lip. "I've never been this close to anyone who  _ isn't  _ my sister before. You can't fault me for being on guard.."

"Fair. Honestly.. I can say the same. At least for positive experiences," slowly he moved his hands further down her back, glancing up for any signs of objection.

Elsa closed her eyes and forced herself to breathe slowly. The longer he continued, the more she began to relax under him. "I've.. never had a massage before..."

He gave a soft chuckle as he moved toward the center of her back. "Well.. it's been a while since I gave one.. so I may be a bit rusty.."

"You don't seem rusty to me," she sighed pleasantly.

Rhett smiled, "Thank you." A small frown formed on his face, "Hmm... seems you have a knot here, want me to loosen it up for you?"

Elsa bit her lip, then nodded.

"This might hurt a bit... ok?" He said before starting to work on it. "Jeez this thing is tight... maybe you should ease up a bit with the paperwork," Rhett said with a small playful smirk.

Elsa frowned. "Impossible."

"A Queen's work is never done, huh?" He chuckled. Once done with the knot he moved further down, slowly encroaching on her hips before moving back up. "Hold up, gotta reposition myself.." he said before getting off of her and sitting on the sofas edge and continuing up. "Feeling better?"

"Unfortunately," she sighed, biting her lip as he worked through the knot, but didn't complain. "Someone has to do endless work in order to better the lives of other people... that does feel a bit better." 

He smiled, "I'm glad I'm in the company who feels that way. All Drakkar seemed to care about was how bad he could make things for others.." Finally he made his way back to her shoulders, "Anywhere else you'd like me to massage? Neck? Legs?" 

"Mmm," she sighed in thought. "Maybe both? Though, my lower back is the most achy..."

Rhett nodded, "Ok then, I'll start there and move back up." Going back to straddling her legs he gently started to work at her thighs, ever glancing up to make sure he didn't make her uncomfortable. A small smile spread across his face, he was glad to see her relaxed, for the majority of the time he'd spent here she'd been so uptight.

Elsa kept her eyes closed, groaning and sighing every so often. She couldn't recall the last time she'd felt this relaxed. When  _ was  _ the last time? When she was a kid?

"I take it you're enjoying this?" He asked as he slowly moved down to her knees, a small smile on his face.

"Surprisingly, yes," she sighed with a small smile.

Once he moved to her feet he started to slowly move back up gently applying a bit more pressure with each motion of his hand.

Elsa tensed for a moment when he found another knot, then forced herself to relax. "Hmm, right there?"

He nodded, "Yeah.. Honestly would be surprised if you don't have one on your butt from those chairs," he said as he kneaded at it.

“Is.. is that even possible?” she asked.

Rhett shrugged, "Beats me. But I'm not going to check without your permission"

Elsa opened an eye and attempted to peer back at him. “Just testing you,” she teased.

He raised an eyebrow at her, a small smirk on his face. "Uh huh. Sure." Slowly he moved to her lower back, "Here?"

She closed her eyes again. “Yes, please. The aching there never stops...”

After gently pressing around for a couple moments, Rhett blinked, "Jeez. That's even tighter than the first one! This one may take me a bit to work at.. and it's likely going to hurt. Ok?" 

Slowly he started to press his fingers downward, gently working at it, slowly getting more and more forceful with each press.

With each press, Elsa clenched down on her teeth harder. Her knuckles gripped the edge of the sofa until they were white. She sucked in a breath and involuntarily gave a small yelp at a particular press.

Rhett immediately looked up at her, eyes wide with concern,"Want me to stop?"

She shook her head. “N-No. It just took me by surprise is all..”

"I'll try to be gentler, ok?". Slowly with each press the knot started to dissipate until it was gone. "How's that?"

Elsa has closed her eyes again and gone quiet once he went back to work. When the knot was gone, she sighed contently. “Better. Thank you.”

He smiled, "Happy to help. Now.. you wanted me to do your neck next?"

“If you can,” she replied with a bite of her lip. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

"Of course," he said as he moved to sit next to her shoulders. Gently he placed his hands at the base of her neck and gently started to press, "Y'know you may be able to sleep better after all this."

“Maybe..” she sighed. “Though, knots are the least of my worries.”

"Yeah..." he said with a small sigh as he gently moved his hands upward, gently moving her hair out of the way. "Again, let me know if it starts to hurt."

Elsa nodded, then closed her eyes.

After a couple minutes Rhett moved away, "How's that?"

“A bit better, I suppose. Thanks.” Elsa said, then moved into a sitting position, wrapping her arms around her curled legs.

Rhett sat down next to her, "Anything else you need?"

She shook her head. “No.”

"Alright then. If you need anything else later on, just let me know," he said before getting up and starting to head out.

“Rhett?” She paused, waiting for him to turn around. “I’m still sorry about before and... I hope you at least get an okay night of sleep.”

He turned to her and smiled. "It's ok, again, you didn't mean to and I appreciate the apology. Same to you. If you need me, you know where to find me."

Not having anything else to say, she simply nodded and watched him go.

A while later, Rhett was on a balcony looking North. He knew what lay ahead of them would be rocky, all he could do is hope that they could handle whatever Drakkar threw at them.

With a pile of books at her feet and what looks to be a thousand drafted letters in her lap, Elsa passed out on the sofa in the library.

Heading back to his room he happened to glance into the library, Seeing her he gave a small sigh before walking in and gently picking her up. "You keep working yourself too much.." he muttered as he carried her back to her bedroom.


	16. Chapter 16

Rhett made his way down the hallway, with Drakkar coming today he wasn't going to take any chances on losing anyone. Not after all they had done for him within the past couple months. However, under his calm exterior, his mind was racing. He didn't know how many men Drakkar would be bringing with him, if luck was on their side, he'd only have a small handful that could easily be dealt with if things got hairy. 

Having not been able to sleep much, she'd only gotten a couple hours and somehow found herself back in her room instead of the library. Elsa had awoken at the crack of dawn and scrambled to make herself presentable. "Wait, where's all my letters? The books?" she panicked.

Hearing some commotion from Elsa's room, Rhett gently knocked on her door, "Elsa? You ok?"

Elsa froze, then sighed."Yes, yes I'm fine."

"Mind if I come in..?"

"Um.. yeah, you may come in."

Rhett walked in and gave a small worried frown, "So.. what's the problem?"

Elsa bit her lip. "Did you bring me back to my room last night?"

He nodded, "Yeah, and all the papers and letters you had when I found you are in your office, neatly stacked."

Elsa let out a relieved sigh. "Oh, thanks."

He sat down on her bed, "Calm down, ok? I'll be here for you through this."

Elsa bit her lip. "Do I really not look calm?"

Rhett looked her up and down before giving a small nod, "Need me to give you another massage?"

Elsa frowned. "I don't have time for that."

He stood up and walked over, "Easy, take a few deep breaths.. ok?"

"How can you expect me to be calm?!"

"Because, you'll need a clear head for all this. If Drakkar senses you could make a mistake, he'll do his damndest to make sure you make one."

Elsa pursed her lips, then sighed. "Okay... I'll try."

He gave a small smile. "What would you like me to do in the meantime..?"

Elsa sat on the bed and rubbed her temples, closing her eyes. “I don’t know, don’t... make a mess of my room?”

Rhett chuckled, "Kinda hard when it's already kind of a mess.."

Elsa looked up and glared at him. “Not helping.”

"Sorry.." He said before biting his lip, "Um.. I'll go if you want me to." 

She looked away and shook her head. “Sorry, I’m stressed. That’s not an excuse to be snappy but... I don’t know what to do right now.”

He stopped, "That's ok. I know you're stressed, it makes sense given... all I've told you... I guess it's my fault you're stressed... isn't it..?"

Elsa stood and wrung her hands. “No, it’s not your fault. He would be coming whether you were here or not. Actually, without you.. I’d be clueless.”

His eyes widened a bit before he frowned and looked away. "True.. but you've still been pretty stressed out with that information.."

“It’s still not your fault...” she repeated and turned to the window, crossing her arms. “What do you think he’ll do?”

"Depends. Either turn me back into a slave or make me into a saber skin rug."

“You know what I mean... you know I wouldn’t let him do that.”

"You may not be given a choice..." He sighed, "I... I gotta go... I'll.. I'll meet you downstairs when he arrives.." Rhett then turned and exited her room before heading down the hallway. 

Elsa frowned as he turned and left. “Okay..” she said, but he was already out the door.

A couple hours later.. A man strode up to the castle doors, he was fairly tall, a bit taller than Agnarr had been, charcoal hair, which was graying at the ends. The suit he wore was adorned with medals from battles long gone. Upon his face were two small scars that went from his jawline to the middle of his cheek. Behind him were three burly men with maces and a couple men with bows. A small smirk crossed his face as he opened the castle doors and strode in. His eyes scanned the room in front of him before laying on Anna, "Ah, Princess Anna.." He purred, "I heard of what happened to your dear sister, my sincerest condolences for your loss."

Anna drew herself up, standing next to the throne rather than perching herself on it. She assessed the man before her, his mere presence made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end and goosebumps crawl up her spine. 

She frowned at his comment and shifted on her feet. “Welcome to Arendelle, Your Majesty. I appreciate your concern for my sister, but it seems you were misinformed. She was afflicted for a couple hours, but luckily our royal doctor was able to find out what was wrong and treated her. She’s since recovered and will be with us shortly.” 

Drakkar gave a small chuckle, "Oh really now? Then where is she? Hm?" He asked the smirk on his lips almost forming into a sneer. Behind him a couple of his men chuckled darkly.

“She’s right here.” 

Elsa’s voice echoed from the entrance to the audience room and glided to her throne. She smiled at Anna, placing a hand on her shoulder before taking a seat. “Thank you, Anna for making sure our guests were received properly as I was attending other matters this morning.” 

Anna beamed at her. “No problem, sis!”

Drakkar blinked in surprise at her, "Ah, Queen Elsa... I'm a little surprised to see you... _alive_..." he said, a hint of disgust in his voice. The men behind him seemed to hold their weapons a bit tighter upon the sight of her, just in case they needed to fight.

Elsa merely smiled, despite how her heart was hammering in her chest and all she wanted to do was run. “How was your trip to Arendelle?” 

"It was alright," he growled. A familiar voice then came from the hallway, "Drakkar! It's been a long time," Rhett growled. 

The Diran King's expression turned from disgust to confusion, "Who the hell are you." 

"Wow, you don't remember me? Then again I guess people change a lot in 15 years." Drakkar's eyes widened a bit in surprise before he started to laugh.

Elsa frowned, eyeing both men from her station on the dais. She gave Rhett a look, pleading with him to not start anything. 

“This is my... wonderful _assistant_ , Sir Rhett,” she chimed in.

"Oh I know who he is," Drakkar sneered, "Quite unsurprising actually, seeing as monsters like you tend to look out for each other." A low growl came from Rhett's throat, but the shapeshifter only walked to Elsa's side, eyeing Drakkar.

Elsa narrowed her eyes. “Your Majesty, may I ask the reason for your visit?”

His gave averted back to her, "I was merely coming over to give your sister my condolences on your.. 'departure'... but seeing as you're still here I-" 

"Your majesty!!" The assassin exclaimed, a couple Arendelle guards behind him. One walked up to Elsa once they entered, "Apologies your majesty. He broke out on his own, we'll have to replace the lock on one of the cell doors later."

"Ah. It's you," Drakkar purred. 

"Please Sir, take be back home with you, that Princess... she's a demon when it comes to interrogation.." 

Drakkar looked up at Anna confused before putting a smile on his face, "Don't worry, we'll take you home from here." He glanced back at one of the archers, who gave a small nod. 

"Ah! Thank you sir! I-I promise I'll do better next time." 

The King's smile faded just a bit, "I'm sure you will.." he responded. With a snap of his fingers, the archer fired an arrow, the assassin never knew what hit him. "We're done here," he said before turning and leaving, his men behind him. With the king's back turned, Rhett looked down at the corpse, then back up to Drakkar with a small shudder.

Elsa opened her mouth to respond to her guard about the prisoner escaping, but mentally reared back—fighting to keep her composure—when her prisoner was shot down in front of her. With wide eyes, she stared at the corpse for a full minute before they shifted to Drakkar. 

“Wait just a minute,” she called, a frown etched on her face. Elsa balled her hands into fists at her side; it was all she could do to hold the ice back. “You might be done here, but I’m _not_.”

Drakkar whirled around to face her his brown eyes staring right into her. "Unless you want to see your 'assistant' turned into a _trophy_ , I suggest you dare not become any more of a nuisance."

Elsa narrowed her eyes and shifted in front of Rhett. “I suggest you refrain from threatening my _subjects_ . They are under _my_ protection and I will not allow you to lay a finger on them.”

Rhett shrank back a bit behind her, something told him he shouldn't have come in.

"The only reason as to why he's _your_ subject now is that he merely ran away from home. I assume Agnarr was the one to take the useless whelp in?" Drakkar growled, glowering at the shapeshifter.

Elsa stood her ground. The nerve of this man made her blood boil. “ _I_ welcomed him into _my_ home not long ago,” she growled back.

"Why am I not surprised. A monster taking in another monster.." he said with a sneer. "You do know who the rightful ruler of this damned place is, correct?"

Elsa watched him carefully. “I am. I was coronated as Queen a year ago.”

"Had it not been for your father _I_ would have been the ruler of this kingdom.." he growled at her. "Although it seems his little 'secret' couldn't stay much of a secret after all."

Elsa frowned. Her eyebrows knit as confusion showed clear on her face. “What?” she asked. “My father never mentioned you. Not even the books that go back hundreds of years in Arendelle’s history..” she trailed off and shook her head. “You’re lying.”

"Of course he didn't. He was so scared of you potentially freezing over the kingdom out of fear if you heard about what your dear uncle did to abominations like you. And he was right," Drakkar said with a dark smirk as he stalked closer to her.

Anna itched to jump in front of her sister and punch Drakkar in the face. It would be so satisfying to see his teeth get knocked out. However, she also knew Elsa wouldn’t approve and the Princess didn’t want to make things worse. So, she stayed put. But, not without clenching her teeth and glaring. As if daring him to lay a finger on Elsa.

She kept her head raised and expression stoic despite her heart hammering in her chest when he moved toward her. She couldn’t show weakness to this man. He would feed off of it like a leech, she knew that. “And so what if he was right? That was then. I know who I am now and nothing you say or do will change that. I’m _not_ a monster.”

"Oh? What about your subjects then, have _they_ come to that conclusion. Surely after your little 'accident', their views haven't changed, just like those of Weselton."

"Most of them, actually," Elsa replied, folding her hands in front of herself. "There will always be a small group, of course."

"Well then, your majesty," he started with a small smirk, "Looks aren't always what they seem..." Drakkar turned to his men and started back towards them.

Having nothing else to say, Elsa let him walk away with his entourage. A deep frown was etched on her face.

Rhett glanced from her back to Drakkar's entourage and shifted nervously on his feet. "Maybe I shouldn't have come in after all," he muttered.

Elsa shot him a look as if to say 'don't you start.'

He took a hesitant step back before starting to leave the room.

Elsa sighed and all but collapsed onto her throne. "This is a nightmare," she murmured. 

Anna shifted next to her, chewing on her lip. It was a few minutes before she quietly followed Rhett.

Rhett by then had already made it to his room, with a small sigh he slumped against the wall, his mind racing.

Anna entered his room and sat next to him quietly.

A small movement caught his eye, upon noticing there was someone else beside him he jumped a bit. Had Anna always been this quiet when coming in? Or had he been so deep in his mind he just hadn't noticed?

Anna offered him an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

He gave a small smile back, "It's.. fine.. I just... gods.. everything's just so fucked up now...."

"But that's not your fault. He didn't even _know_ you were here. So, obviously he's not here because of you."

"Yeah... but now he knows I'm here too, it's like a dream come true for him.."

"So then, what are you going to do?" Anna asked, curling her legs up to her chest as she looked over at him.

He gave a small, shaky sigh, "I don't know... I don't know if there's anything I can do..."

"Then what about Elsa?" she asked quietly. Anna knit her brows. She was, for once, serious; there was no intention of teasing the shapeshifter.

"My sister has come so far. I can't even begin to describe how isolated and scared she was for over a decade. To be honest, I know she's afraid of falling back to that. She won't admit it, but I know she is. And I'm afraid for her too. I made a vow to myself that I would do anything in my power so she wouldn't have to be afraid like that again. Now with Drakkar? I don't know.. I don't think I can protect her.." she trailed off, hanging her head with a small sniffle.

Rhett blinked in surprise, he'd never seen her so... serious in his time at the castle. Until now her attitude had been all sunshine and rainbows. After a couple moments, he hesitantly put a hand on her shoulder and gave it a slight squeeze. "I... I don't know about her.. I want to help her but.. I only wish I knew how... I mean... she's the first person to ever show any concern about me, even after she found me in such a bad state. I... I don't want to lose that... and yet with Drakkar... I'm scared we're going to lose everything.."

Anna glanced up, wiping a tear from her eyes that had just managed to escape. "I know Elsa," she started, balling her hands into fists in her lap. "She's not going to sit around and let Drakkar have his way with her and Arendelle. Yet, I have a feeling her stubbornness is going to be the death of her." The princess went silent for a while, then stood. 

"Well, you can stay in here and sulk all you want, but it's not going to change anything. If you're not going to help me protect Elsa, then fine."

He sighed, and looked away, "If only you knew...." He muttered, absentmindedly rubbing his shoulder. "He's got a way to instill the most primal of emotions into others he's had contact with in the past... honestly I'm not surprised it doesn't affect you.. you've never been whipped or beaten."

Anna turned to look down at him. She frowned. "No, I haven't. Neither has Elsa, but I don't want to wait around to find out how long that'll take to happen." She pursed her lips into a thin line. "I don't want to say you're a coward, because I don't know what you've been through. However, this is happening whether you like it or not. It's out of your control now. 

My sister? She rescued you and invited you into our home. She fed you, gave you clean water, let you bathe and made sure you were _comfortable_ and _happy_ . I can't explain it, but for whatever reason, your presence alone has made her happier than I've seen her in _years_ . She won't admit it, but she considers you a friend. Her _only_ friend. And I'm happy because _she's_ happy. Happy enough that from the beginning, I always thought you were worthy of her. But now?" Anna paused and shook her head, giving him a sad frown. "Now, I don't know. If you're going to sit here and sulk like a coward just because some bastard from your past waltzed in here and let him imprison and _torture_ my sister, and possibly kill her, just because she's _different_ ... then I take it back. You'll never be worthy of her in any way in my eyes. I _love_ Elsa and she comes before your mental comfort, do you understand?"

Rhett only glanced at her, if anything now he felt more worthless to them then he had to Drakkar. They had basically given him a second chance at life, a new start, he couldn't throw it all away... but how could he help?

Once he heard Anna leaving the room it dawned on him. He was the only one who had been in Drakkar's company before, he was the only one to have _escaped_ the tyrant. His eyes narrowed, he'd come too far to turn back now. Looking over at the door, Rhett then got up and stormed over and down the hallway in search of the sisters.

Anna stomped down the hallway back to the throne room only to find that Elsa had left. She stood in the doorway for a moment, then panicked and turned to rush back down the hallway.

Rhett stopped at her bedroom door and gave a gentle knock, "Elsa? Anna? You in there?"

Anna rounded the corner, sprinting to Elsa's room, only to collide into Rhett. "Oof!"

Rhett staggered a bit at the sudden impact. "Anna..?"

"R-Rhett? What are you doing here?"

He blinked in surprise, "What does it look like I'm doing?"

Anna straightened herself on her feet then looked between the door and Rhett. "Trying to get into my sister's room?"

"At least I _knock first before entering._ "

Anna's eyes widened. "Well, you're the only one I don't knock for. It _is_ my castle after all," she said with a teasing smirk.

He rolled his eyes, "Whatever. Anyway, I was hoping to talk with her about all this... you're right. I've wasted too much of my life hiding and running. You guys have given me a new start, and I'll be damned if I give that up now."

Anna stared at him and blinked in surprise, then smiled. "I knew you'd come around." She looked back at Elsa's door, then knocked. "Elsa?" She started panicking after a moment when there was no response. "She's not in the throne room and if she's not in her bedroom..." she trailed off and bit her lip, looking up at Rhett with wide, terrified eyes. "I-I don't know where she is."

Rhett placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry we'll find her, ok?" He took a couple paces down the hall and tilted his head up before taking a deep breath, "This way, come on, scent's still fairly fresh."

Anna nodded and followed him, jogging to catch up. "You.. you don't think Drakkar would.. already?"

"Don't know, if she was left alone.. it is a possibility, but his is a bit stale, seems after he left he didn't come back."

Anna nodded, visibly relieved. "Okay.."

"C'mon!" He called back to her as he started to pick up speed before heading out of the castle.

Anna raced after him, determined not to fall behind.


	17. Chapter 17

A couple hours later.. Rhett was padding along a mountain trail, he had to admit it did feel good to be back in the wild, the fresh, crisp air, cool winds, sounds of all sorts of creatures. It was a real change from the hustle and bustle of castle life.

Anna was not far behind him when it dawned on her. "I think I know where she went.."

He looked around, "Really? Cuz I sure as hell have  _ no  _ clue"

Anna smiled and nodded. "Her ice palace."

The sabertooth paused mid-step, "Excuse me, her  _ what _ ?"

“Her ice palace,” she repeated, then skipped ahead. “C’mon!”

He blinked at her for a moment before continuing, in all honestly he wasn't sure if she was merely joking or what.

Anna hummed to herself, obviously more upbeat now that she was sure where her sister had run off to, and led Rhett up the North Mountain. “She comes here when she needs to be alone. Usually if she knows her powers will be... erratic.”

"Well... if she's up here alone, because of that... maybe we should wait until she comes back.."

“Well, I’m sure she’s there... but I need to  _ make sure _ . Just in case I’m wrong...”

"Well... this nose doesn't lie, the scent is stronger now, so she passed through here fairly recently."

Anna smiled. “Then we are on the right track.” 

About an hour later, they made it to the top of the mountain. Glancing up, the ice palace glittered majestically.

Upon seeing the massive structure, Rhett's jaw dropped wide open, "Holy..... sh-she did this??"

Anna looked back at him. A proud and smug smile widened along her face. “Yup! In just one night too. Isn’t it amazing?!”

He looked quickly at her, "One  _ night _ ?? Wow..." The cat then leapt onto a large snowbank and sat down to admire the structure, "Amazing is an understatement..."

Anna’s smile dropped when she recognized the snow bank. “Uh.. Rhett. You might want to get down from there..”

Rhett looked back at her, confused, "Why's that?"

Anna was about to respond when a low growl erupted from said snow bank and Marshmallow emerged. He plucked Rhett off his head by the scruff and growled at him. “Go away,” he rumbled. “Leave Elsa alone.”

Anna called out to Marshmallow with her hands raised. “W-Wait! He’s a friend! A good guy!” 

The cat snarled and growled at the snow golem, trying to claw the massive being, however he was just out of reach. However once Anna called out to Marshmallow, Rhett stopped and glared daggers at Elsa's massive creation.

Marshmallow glared back at Rhett for a few moments before he backed off, but didn’t place the cat down. “Good guy? Friend?” A small smile crossed the snow golem’s face. He pressed the cat against his cheek. “Good kitty,” he said, then proceeded to scratch Rhett behind the ear with an icy claw.

The sabertooth froze, unsure of what to do. Glancing over at Anna he gave her a look that said one thing; ' **_HELP_ ** '

Anna laughed for a moment, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. It was a sight she was never going to let Rhett live down. “Marshmallow, I know he’s cute and fluffy, but I need you to put him down. We came to make sure Elsa is okay. You can play with him later, alright?”

Marshmallow pulled the sabertooth from his face and looked at the cat sadly. He slowly nodded and placed Rhett back down in the snow. “Okay...”

Rhett didn't even glance back at the golem before stalking over to Anna, "I am not cute, I happen to be a remorseless assassin.."

Anna just gave him a wide smile. “Oh stop it, you’re cute. Now,” she paused and glanced up at the palace. “Let’s go inside.”

He gave a small snort of annoyance before padding behind her, "You knew that was going to happen... didn't you..."

Anna smirked. “Maaaybe.”

"How you're related to Elsa is beyond me sometimes..." 

Anna beamed. “We are two opposite peas in a pod!”

Rhett rolled his eyes as they got to the door, glancing back at Anna, he raised a paw and gently knocked.

The doors immediately opened the moment he touched the door. Anna walked in and called out for Elsa, Rhett padding cautiously behind her. 

Upon hearing her sister’s voice, Elsa appeared at the top of the stairs, adorned in her ice dress, with a small and sheepish smile. “Anna? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you... I wasn’t going to be gone for long.”

Anna peered up at her with a smile. “I admit I panicked a little, but then I remembered about this place and was sure you came here. Glad to know I was right.”

Rhett glanced between the two before laying down and stretching, obsidian claws unsheathing. "If you want us to head back to Arendelle to give you some time that's alright," he said before attempting to smooth out his fur from the... 'incident' with Marshmallow. 

Elsa looked beside Anna, having just noticed Rhett. Her eyes widened for a moment, she wasn’t expecting him. Her cheeks colored slightly. “No, I.. had enough time to release my magic..”

A small smile formed on his face. "Good to hear," he said as he got up and padded over to sit beside Anna, still looking around in awe at how large the palace really was. "So...  _ you  _ did all of this?"

Elsa played with her braid shyly and nodded. “A couple years ago.. when everyone found out about my powers, I panicked and ran here. Made a home for myself at the top of the North Mountain. I had actually planned on staying here.. alone... forever.”

His ears folded back as he looked at her, his eyes wide with shock. However after a couple seconds he stood back up and padded over to her, gently rubbing himself against her, "That's a feeling I know all too well..."

Elsa hesitated before reaching down to pet him briefly. Then, pulled her hand back. “I’m sorry I made you guys come all the way up here, I should have told you... but thought you wanted time alone after... that.”

Anna made her way up the stairs after Rhett and took Elsa’s hand. “Rhett and I had a bit of a ... talk,” she admitted.

Rhett flicked an ear, "Yeah.. anyway.. let's not talk about that whole situation right now.. ok?"

Elsa furrowed her brows. “Something happen?”

Anna forced a smile. “That’s a conversation for later.”

He looked over at Anna, "Yeah.. it is.. for now, we should head back, unless you want to stay here for a bit longer Elsa."

Elsa shook her head. “I’ve been here long enough...”

Rhett took one last look around the palace before starting to head out, "Unbelievable..." he muttered.

Elsa took the lead. 

Anna walked beside Rhett with a smug look on her face. “She can do this and a lot more.”

"I mean.. she can obviously create life and now this...? She could probably stomp out Drakkar's entire army with one fell swoop if she was able to get the jump on them.."

“Yup. Drakkar is underestimating her power, but... I’m worried he’ll mentally break her down.”

He sighed, "Yeah... so am I..." A few minutes into their trip back Rhett suddenly trotted up to be in pace with Elsa, before shoulder checking her into a nearby snowbank.

“Wha—“ Elsa gave a short squeal and lost her balance. However, the snowbank she was about to fall into caught her in his icy claws. Marshmallow emerged to his full height, cradling Elsa. He growled and scanned the area for the culprit before spotting the sabertooth. A large smile crosses his features and he gently placed Elsa back down

“Kitty! Play?!” he exclaimed.

Rhett's face went from one of joy to one of fear. "Oh.... no...." He muttered before backing up into Anna by accident, whirling around to face her the cat then looked around for some place to run or hide.

Anna covered her mouth to hide the fit of giggles. “Marshmallow, I know it’s later but not later enough...”

The snow golem was about to pick up the cat once again and squish him to his face, but paused at Anna’s comment. He looked down at Rhett sadly. “But kitty...”

Elsa glanced from Marshmallow to Rhett, coming to the conclusion that they’d been acquainted already. “Marshmallow, I know you’re lonely and want a pet, but Rhett is an important asset to me right now. Here..” she trailed off and waved her hands. In a flurry of snow, a bouncing tiger manifested next to Marshmallow, who gave a wide smile in response.

“KITTY!”

The sabertooth was quick to climb a nearby rock ledge, just out of Marshmallow's reach, just in case the golem decided one cat wasn't enough. He wasn't going to let Marshmallow out of his sight until he was certain the golem was preoccupied.

Elsa watched Marshmallow with a small smile. "Alright, Marshmallow. I expect you'll hold the fort until I come back?" The snow golem cradled the snow tiger and cooed at it, absently nodding to Elsa.

Satisfied, the queen turned back to her companions. "Let's head back."

Rhett took one final glance at Marshmallow before leaping down from his perch and right next to Elsa, his fur still a slight mess from his earlier encounter with the golem.

Elsa cleared her throat. "Sorry about that, Marshmallow can be... overbearing sometimes."

"It's ok. He didn't mean any harm.. although I may have pulled something from all of that. It's been a while since I spent the majority of a day as a sabertooth.."

Elsa sent him an apologetic look. “You didn’t need to come out here. I was going to come back.”

He shrugged, "It's fine, honestly it felt good to get away from the castle for a bit"

“Actually... I came to a decision while away. I’m going to send a guard with you to guide you out of Arendelle so you won’t have to deal with Drakkar,” Elsa admitted.

Rhett moved to stand in her way, "No. I'm not leaving you, or Arendelle."

Elsa frowned. "I've already made my decision. I'm not naïve, I know how you were feeling when he waltzed in."

He flicked his ear in annoyance, "Your sister was right. I've spent too long running and hiding from him, I'm the only one of us who knows what Drakkar likely is planning, I'm the only one to have  _ escaped  _ him before. So whether you like it or not, you're stuck with me 'till hell freezes over. Even if Drakkar does manage to take Arendelle over, I'll be by your side. You've given me a second chance that I could only have dreamed of before. I'm  _ not  _ letting that go anytime soon."

Elsa blinked, shocked by his speech. She gave him a small smile, albeit a little relieved. The hammering of her heart seemed to finally calm since Drakkar made his appearance--something she'd failed to do even in her ice palace. "I'm sorry, I just figured you would want to get away as quickly as possible. But, I see your reasoning now. I don't want to run either, I've ran my whole life. I'm going to stand my ground against him no matter what."

Anna smiled and went between them, placing an arm around them both. "I knew I could talk some sense into you Rhett."

The sabertooth gently shook his head and placed a dinner plate-sized paw on Anna's face, before he playfully shoved her back into the snow. "Anyway, once we get back I suggest we take some time to relax. Seems like we all need it."

"Oof!" Anna fell on her back into the snow and sat up, brushing the white powder from her face.

He gave a small chuckle before continuing on towards Arendelle.

Elsa shook her head, amused at their antics. She then sighed. "I won't be relaxing."

"Well, you need to, ok?"

Anna popped back up behind them. "I think you two just need some alone time."

Rhett raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean by that..?"

Anna waggled her brows. "To you know, straighten things out."

He blinked in confusion, "You've lost me..."

Anna rolled her eyes. She let go of Elsa and pulled Rhett in for some 'serious' talk. "You're going to apologize to her and you're going to comfort her, got it? She looks only mildly stressed out, but I guarantee you it's for show," she whispered at him harshly.

"Ok, now that I know what you're talking about, the eyebrow wiggle doesn't make any sense..."

"No?" She pulled him closer and whispered so Elsa wouldn't hear. "Y'know, don't you want to get a  _ little  _ emotionally and physically closer?"

His eyes narrowed. "No. I don't," he growled before getting out of her grasp and striding away.

Anna frowned. "But.. but wait!"

Rhett sighed and looked back at her.

Anna narrowed her eyes at him. "One day you will see and you will tell me I was right."

He rolled his eyes and went back to Elsa's side.


	18. Chapter 18

A couple hours later... Rhett was wandering around the castle, after they had gotten back the trio had seemed to go their separate ways.

Elsa sat in the gardens, curled against a tree as she mulled the events of that day over.

The door to the gardens opened as Rhett entered, upon seeing her he paused before looking around and continuing over, "Hey.."

Elsa glanced up, forcing a smile. "Hey."

"Mind if I sit next to you?"

Elsa gestured with a hand; an open invitation.

A small smile crossed his face before he sat down next to her and leaned against the tree. After a couple moments he sighed, "I wanted to apologize for earlier."

Elsa gave him a confused look. "Apologize for what?"

"This morning.. I shouldn't have left you there alone.."

"Oh, that." Elsa shrugged and gave a sad smile. "It's alright, I understand.."

"You sure? Drakkar could've tried to abduct you.. or worse..."

Elsa looked away. "Well, it's not like I haven't been chained up before anyway..."

A small wince formed on his face, "Yeah.. but you don't deserve that... You deserve so much more..."

She sighed. "People keep telling me that, especially Anna. But, I have a hard time seeing it. Sometimes I wake up and wonder why I'm just not in chains, especially if so many out there still think I'm a monster."

Rhett gently moved his hand towards one of hers, "Elsa.. if it weren't for you being the total  _ opposite  _ of a monster.. I wouldn't be here, if you were in fact a monster, you would have killed me regardless had I shifted back or not.."

"We've talked about this before and I appreciate your opinion, but that doesn't change anything. Drakkar might think I'm a monster and the majority of Arendelle may disagree with him, but it definitely won't help matters if he gathers those from the kingdom who would rather see me in chains, or worse..." Elsa closed her eyes and shivered at the thought.

"Well.. if there's something I've learned in my time with you guys, it's what those closest to you think of you is what matters. Anyone else can fuck off, because we will find a way to deal with them, no matter what."

Elsa shifted to look at him, her fingers brushed against his with the movement. "Perhaps," she sighed. "I know there's a small group in Arendelle who don't approve of me and my powers. I can't change that. I just fear that Drakkar will inspire them and their hate will turn into riots. I'm going to be dealing with more than just an army coming for Arendelle...a-and I can't run. Not again."

"Well. No matter what happens, I'm here for you, ok? If a riot starts, I can fight torches and pitchforks with claws and teeth.."

Elsa raised a brow. "That's a sight I didn't think I'd be seeing some day."

He blinked, "What do you mean?"

Elsa smiled, refraining from giggling. "Just the thought of a sabertooth launching himself into an angry mob."

He gave a small chuckle, "For you guys? I'd do anything.. You.... you've grown on me so to speak.."

"Grown on you?" Elsa mused, a tiny smirk curled on her face and she rested her chin on her palm. "Do tell."

Rhett shrugged, "Well... yeah.. I mean.. you and the others are really... my friends... not to mention my only friends.."

Elsa gave him a teasing smile. "You mean it's not because you suddenly fell desperately in love with me?"

"Oh gods... don't let your sister hear that.."

"But why not? I mean, her personal dreams and goals would certainly come true. I'm sure she's already planned the wedding."

He gave a small groan, "Maybe.. wouldn't surprise me if she just has a big closet of wedding décor somewhere in a super secret area only she knows about"

"That wouldn't surprise me either," Elsa chuckled. She leaned her head back on the trunk of the tree, glancing at Rhett from the corner of her eye. "I apologize for my sister's enthusiasm. She can be a bit much sometimes, especially when she gets something in her head. I know she's trying to put you up to wooing me, despite how you actually feel."

"Well at least she has good intentions.. I mean, honestly I do hope you find someone that she approves of, if you ever find love that is. The only thing that irks me sometimes is when she barges into my room without knocking.."

Elsa shook her head sadly. "Love is not in the cards for me, I know this. I've known it for a while," she said. The queen then rolled her eyes. "Oh Anna.. I'm sorry, I'll talk to her about it and see to it that she gives you your privacy."

He shrugged, "Eh, it's mostly my fault, I should have scented her coming"

Elsa shook her head. "That doesn't matter, she should know better..."

"Oh well.. Just hope I don't hear about it from her," he said with a small chuckle.

"Just let her get it out of her system, she'll get over it."

He nodded and stretched a bit before watching a leaf flutter down from above. Sitting up he tested the air, "Hmm... summer's almost over.."

Elsa nodded. "Almost time for autumn.."

A small frown formed on his face, "I hope Drakkar knows well enough to not attack in the winter..."

"What do you mean by that?"

"If the fjord freezes over, no ships can get in or out. Which means he'd only be able to use ground troops, a much easier opponent to take on, otherwise he'd attack from all sides.."

Elsa nodded. "A beneficial part of being a northern kingdom, especially surrounded by mountains. Which act as a fortress all in themselves."

"Yeah. From what I remember when I came to the region, there's only one mountain pass that could be large enough for Drakkar to lead his army through... Block that off with a rockslide or two, and all we'd have to worry about would be his navy."

"Even then, it would be easy to halt a navy. I've frozen over the fjord before, trapping a couple of foreign dignitaries here on the night of my coronation..."

"Then bam! We have a fairly easy defense against him! What soldiers would be on the ships would have to abandon them in order to actually get to the kingdom, in turn you could unfreeze the water once they're far enough from their ships."

Elsa nodded. "That is a good plan... I just worry that it sounds too good of a plan. I'm sure Drakkar would have thought of such situations already.."

"Well, it's not  _ every  _ day you go against a cryomancer, so who knows! I mean it's worth a shot.."

"You do have a point..." Elsa trailed off with a sigh and closed her eyes. "I don't want to admit it, but... I'm  _ terrified  _ of what could happen. Not just to me, but to my family, my friends, and my kingdom."

"Honestly... I am too... " Rhett said, trailing off, "But we can't let any of the others see it.  _ Especially  _ Drakkar or his troops.."

"I tried not to earlier in the throne room... did I give myself away?"

"I couldn't tell, then again my mind was... elsewhere..."

Elsa nodded. "I know and it's okay."

"I think I know the answer to this already but.. if you ever get time, would you be up for a walk in the woods? I can show you around my territory if you'd like."

Elsa smiled a little. "Once I have time, I'd like that."

He gave a small smile back before shifting a bit with a slight hiss of pain.

Elsa frowned, looking over at him with concern. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, guess I just hadn't been a sabertooth for so long my body needed some time to adjust..."

“Do you need ice?”

"Maybe? That or a massage..."

Elsa glanced over, cheeks pink. “I’ve never given anyone a massage before, do you want me to try?”

He gave a small shrug, "Up to you.."

She hesitated. “Ice is more of my forte..”

"I mean, if you want to try it, that's more than ok with me"

Elsa leaned toward him. “Where does it ache?”

"Mainly my shoulders and upper back.."

“Okay.” She settled behind him and coated her hands in ice before placing them on his shoulders. “Is this okay?”

Rhett stiffened a bit at the sudden chill before be relaxed with a sigh, "Yeah... It's fine.."

Elsa took a moment before she began to massage his shoulders, making sure a constant fresh coat of ice was on her skin.

He gave a soft sigh, "You said you'd never done this before?"

“I haven’t,” she confirmed.

"Well, sure feels pretty damn good..."

“Good to know.” Elsa then moved her hands down to his upper back and massaged around his shoulder blades.

Rhett bit his lip and slightly arched his back, "Erm... want me to make it easier for the ice to work?"

"It's up to you.. I'm only doing small massages," she said, biting her lip.

He gave her a soft smile, "That's fine." Hesitantly he leaned a bit forward, "Try that..."

Elsa nodded and took in a breath. She leaned forward and continued the massage. “I hope the ice helps relieve the tension.”

Rhett gave a soft sigh, the ice against his back was quite a shock at first, but he was quick to grow accustomed to it. All in all, Elsa's touch was very soothing to him, why it was he couldn't tell, but he did seem to at least like the company.

While she massaged him, switching from his shoulders to his upper back in a cycle, she began to hum.

He glanced back at her for a couple moments, listening intently. "What song is that?"

She paused and sighed. “Just a lullaby my mother used to sing to me if I couldn’t sleep.”

"Oh...." he said before going silent for a bit. "What's it like...? To have parents that is..."

Elsa slowed her massage. It was now more like she caressed his skin with an icy, yet feathers touch. “Parents?” she repeated, slightly surprised. “Parents are... they love you, help you to grow, tell you what to do even if you don’t want to do it, they guide you... they tell you what they think is best for you when you’re lost..” Elsa dropped her hands and took in a trembling breath. “...”

He bit his lip, perhaps he shouldn't have brought them up... "You miss them.. don't you..?"

She gave a short nod. “I wonder what they would do... or if they would even approve of me now..”

"Well... something tells me they'd be very proud of you. From what I've seen in the short amount of time I've been here, you have a lot of people who care for you and are glad to have you as a ruler, powers and all."

She bit her lip. “Maybe, I don’t know.. they can’t tell me because they’re not here. They’re not here and I’m lost...”

"Lost....?"

Elsa averted her gaze. “I’m only acting like I know what to do now that Drakkar is here. But in reality? I don’t. I’m lost.”

Rhett moved to sit beside her, "Don't worry... everything's going to be ok...."

She shook her head, her lip trembled as all the emotions she’d had bottled up welled in her eyes. “You don’t know that. Don’t lie to me. I’m bringing Arendelle to  _ war  _ against my will. All because of  _ me _ . Of  _ what  _ I am! And I can do  _ nothing  _ to stop it!”

He sighed, "You know what? You're right. I don't know. But, what I do know is this, I'm the only one of us who's dealt with Drakkar before, it gives you and everyone you care for a higher chance to beat him. You  _ can  _ stop him, it may take some time, but you have enough fire in you to protect everyone from that big bully." 

Elsa stood and began to pace. She shook her head, wrapping her arms around herself. “You’re asking, no telling me, to do something no one has done before. You  _ escaped  _ him, Rhett. You know how to  _ run  _ from him, but do you know how to fight him? Before me, you’ve been alone most of your life. Only had to look out for yourself. Do you know what it’s like to have the responsibility of thousands of lives? Knowing that women and children may and will die under your protection?” Elsa paused to take a breath, she stared down at her open palms. Frost lined her skin.

“This isn’t just about you now... and, if it comes down to it, if it will save my sister and Arendelle, I will give myself up to him. If the time calls for it. If it’s the only way...”

Rhett's shoulders drooped, "Sorry.. I want to help, I really do Elsa, and you're right, I don't know what it's like to be responsible for a whole kingdom. But I can't help you if you don't take my advice. I'm not telling you to do anything, I'm merely trying to give you suggestions." He said as he stood up and walked over to her gently placing his hands in hers, not even seeming to care about the frost lining her skin. "There's more than one way to solve a problem Elsa.. I mean, you thought the only way to save Arendelle after the mishap at your coronation was to run, but as it turned out, that wasn't the solution. If you guys were able to find the solution for that, you can certainly find the solution to this. I believe in you." Gently he took his hands away from hers and bent down to pick up his shirt.

Elsa watched him silently, too overwhelmed and exhausted to argue. In a lot of ways, he was right. He didn’t deserve the bit of backlash she gave him. Swallowing, she balled her hands into fists. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, knitting her brows. She headed back towards the castle. “I should leave.”

Rhett placed a gentle hand on her shoulder before she could get too far. "You don't need to apologize to me. I know you're stressed from all of this, you should take some time to relax, ok?"

Elsa tensed, then forced herself to relax a little. She nodded. “I’ll.. try,” she sighed. As she made her way to the edge of the garden, she glanced at him over her shoulder. “Goodnight Rhett.”

"Night, if you need anything, I'm here for you, ok?"

She just gave a simple nod of acknowledgement before heading off to her private quarters.

Rhett gave a small sigh and looked around him before following her inside.


	19. Chapter 19

Later that night, the queen found herself turning restlessly in bed. At first, she’d woken up to find herself parched. After traveling for a glass of water, she attempted to return to her slumber. It took her hours to fall back asleep, her mind racing with worry. Finally, her eyes became too heavy and she fell victim to darkness once again.

Turning beneath the sheets, she whimpered in her sleep. Her face scrunched and she turned again, breath hitching. Elsa’s whimpers gradually grew louder until they turned to echoing shouts. Ice manifested beneath and around her, shrouding her room and encompassing it into an ice cave.

Rhett had been wandering around the castle for around an hour or so now, having been unable to sleep given the day's events, his mind was racing. However, when he stopped by Elsa's door, he knew something was up. He quickly glanced over his shoulder, making sure no one was there before he gave a gentle knock.

Unable to break from the nightmare’s grip, she continued to toss and turn in bed. His knock went unnoticed.

He gave a small sigh before entering her bedroom, giving a small shudder at the sudden temperature change before trotting to her side. "Elsa....  _ Elsa _ !... wake up! It's just a nightmare...!"

Elsa tossed and turned more violently. She wailed. Ice spikes manifested at the sides of her bed. "N-No..!"

Rhett didn't waste any time to shake her, an attempt to wake her up. "It's ok Elsa, it's just a dream..."

Elsa jolted up with a scream, eyes shooting open. Having not adjusted to the darkness of her room yet, she reeled back at a shadow by her bed and held out a hand, glowing with ice. "D-Don't--!"

He held his arms out, "Easy Elsa.. it's just me... ok?"

Elsa took in a shaky breath, finally coming to her senses when she recognized the voice. "...Rhett?"

"It's ok... I'm here..." he said slightly moving closer to her. "You're safe, you're in Arendelle..."

"In.. Arendelle.." She sat up and wiped her eyes, looking away. "You shouldn't be in here.."

"Yeah.. I know.. I just heard you whimpering and almost shouting. I... Just wanted to make sure you were ok.."

Elsa curled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her knees. "I'm fine.. it was just a dream... nothing to be worried about."

He moved to sit next to her, "Want me to stay here until you fall back asleep?"

She sniffed and sighed, "There won't be anymore sleep coming to me tonight." 

"Alright. Do you want to talk about it then? If not that's fine"

Elsa bit her lip. "I-I don't know."

Rhett gave a small nod, "Alright then. Do you want me to stay here with you?"

She didn't answer for a moment. Instead, she closed her eyes and forced herself to calm enough to thaw the room. Finally, she sucked in a breath and nodded. "Okay.."

Gently he moved a hand to her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze, "I'm here for you, always.. ok?"

She didn’t make noise or give movement to indicate she’d heard. She just stared ahead with a blank look on her face. “I’m sorry, did I wake you?”

Rhett shook his head, "No, I'd been up for a while"

“I see,” she sighed in response. She glanced down at her hands, as if expecting them to be encased in manacles.

Gently he moved one of his hands next to hers, before looking around. A quick flash caught his eyes, turning around he could see the aurora shining outside, a small smile crossed his face as some light came in, before he turned back to Elsa, "Wanna head outside? Could be our last chance before autumn hits. I mean, it's up to you if you want to stay in here"

Elsa glanced up at him, then over at the window. "Okay... perhaps for a little while."

A small smile crossed his face as he stood up, offering his hand to her to help her up.

Elsa took his hand and allowed him to pull her up from the bed. She wiped a stray tear from her eye and whispered, "You lead the way."

Rhett gave a small nod as he led her from her room through the pitch black hallway, occasionally letting her know of certain objects in their way before they got to the gardens.

Once outside, Elsa felt she could finally breathe and closed her eyes as she took in the fresh mountainous air.

He let go of her hand and moved to sit in the grass, a soft sigh escaping his lips. Looking up he then started to watch the aurora, trying to think of something that may be a temporary distraction from her nightmare.

"I'm sorry," she said, looking anywhere but at him. "You don't have to stay here all night. I know you're tired and stressed."

Rhett stood up and walked back to her side, "It's alright, I doubt I'd be getting much sleep after today's events either."

The queen wrung her hands, in a vain attempt to quell their trembling, and bit her lip. "Thank you.."

He gave her a small smile before moving a hand to one of hers. He spoke, albeit a bit hesitantly, "What are friends for...?"

She forced a ghost of a smile to cross her face and allowed him to take one of her hands. "Friends..."

Rhett gave her hand a small squeeze. "I mean... if you're ok with being friends.."

"Y-Yeah, it's just... I've never had a friend before. It's... strange..."

He gave a small chuckle, "Yeah... it is.. Before you guys I was all alone. Even when I was in Dira"

Elsa chewed her trembling lip and squeezed his hand tighter subconsciously. “He’s going to come back...”

Rhett then sighed, "Yeah.. He will... but at least we have a plan that can at least make him think twice about going after Arendelle if we have to put it in place." He squeezed her hand again, before he turned to face Elsa, "But I'll be here through it all for you."

Flashes of her nightmare imposed in the front of her mind and she shivered, visibly shaken from its intrusion. “If he wins, he going to lock me away, isn’t he?”

He looked away for a moment, "No. Not while I'm around.. if we're lucky, we'll probably be forced to do slave work.."

She pulled her hand away to wipe her eyes, but to no avail, tears continued to stream down her face. “He’s not going to turn me into a slave. I-I’ll find my hands back in shackles and I’ll never see the light of day again until he decides to end me.. you heard him, my throne was supposed to be his. He can’t have it if I’m still alive..”

Hesitantly, Rhett wrapped his arms around her in an embrace, so much for trying to switch topics... "If he wants you, he'll have to go through everyone else that cares for you first.." His eyes then narrowed in thought, "If anything you could be more useful to him alive than dead..."

Elsa wasted no time in burying her face into his chest the moment he embraced her. She squeezed her eyes shut, but tensed at his next thought. “H-How..?”

"He's a warlord... he'd likely use you as a weapon..."

“N-No.. he can’t...”

He sighed, "That's probably what his intentions are.."

She pulled away from him, almost ripping herself from his arms, and all but collapsed on the grass. A heavy coating of frost manifested from beneath her, spreading outward at an alarmingly quick rate. “No..”

Rhett took a step back and looked around at the frost around her before shifting into a saber tooth and padding over, "Don't think of the worst possible outcome Elsa, think of what could happen if we  _ win _ . It's a double sided coin, Drakkar could easily lose to us."

Elsa cradled her head in her hands, too lost in her mind to hear him. “I can’t go back down there. I can’t be in chains again... I can’t. I  _ can’t _ !” She curled her fingers into her loose hair and pulled at the strands.

His ears folded back, obviously distraught at the sight. However he gently nudged her with his snout before curling around her, placing a paw on her leg.

Her self-murmuring faded into broken sobs that wracked her body. She gave no sign that she felt his presence around her. Each tear that fell froze to the ground. Her hands shook vigorously beyond her control as each breath she attempted to take hitched in her chest.

Unsure of what to do, the great cat stayed beside her, letting out a deep purr in an attempt to calm her.

About an hour later, she eventually calmed enough to catch her breath. However, she was too exhausted to thaw the ice. Elsa’s shoulders slumped and she found herself laying into a purring, great cat. The rumbling beneath her vibrated through her body, causing her to give a tired smile. “Soft...” she murmured before her eyes drooped closed.

Rhett looked back at her and gave a small chuckle, "There won't be any more sleep for you tonight huh...?" He said with a small smile before shifting back in order to pick her up.

Elsa’s head lolled, as she had already fallen asleep, exhausted from the episode.

A few minutes later, Rhett had gotten Elsa back in bed and tucked in, gently he brushed some strands of hair from her face. "Get some sleep..." He murmured to her before getting up to head out.

Elsa shifted and stirred in her sleep, realizing where she was and reached out to him. “Don’t leave... please...”

He stopped where he stood in the doorway for a couple heartbeats before going back to her side. A small smile crossed his face as he sat down next to her, "Don't worry, I'll stay."

She visibly relaxed and curled back up. A few minutes later, she broke the silence with a scratchy voice. “You can sleep here too...” she offered.

Rhett blinked in surprise, "You sure..? What if one of the staff or council finds out?"

“They won’t...” she murmured as her eyes fluttered closed. She began to doze off again.

He looked around for a couple moments before hesitantly getting in the bed next to her. "If Anna finds out... something tells me we won't hear the end of it..."


	20. Chapter 20

The next morning, Rhett sat up, his hair a mess, akin to a lion's mane. Looking over he saw Elsa, curled up into him, a small smile crossed his face before he gently ran a hand through her hair, "Hey.."

Elsa's eyes fluttered open and she yawned. "Rhett?" she muttered, slightly surprised he was still here.

He smiled, "Morning, good to see you did get some sleep after all"

She rubbed her eyes. "Did I fall back asleep? I didn't expect to.."

"Yeah, you were out col- er... out like a light, had to carry you back to your bedroom."

"You did?" she asked and turned into her back. "I don't recall any of that. .."

He nodded, "Yeah.. I was about to leave, but you said you wanted me to stay, so I did..."

She smiled a little and stared down at her hands, face flushed a shade of pink. "I see.."

He cleared his throat and awkwardly ran a hand through his hair, "Well then... uh... anything else you want or need?"

Elsa chewed her lip. "No. Um, I mean.. not that I know of. But you might want to--" she was cut off when a musical knock sounded at her door.

"Elsaaaa~"

Rhett looked back at the door and froze, ' _ Shit _ ' he thought before looking back at Elsa.

Elsa nodded to her closet for him to hide in as she called out. "I'm awake! One moment, Anna!"

Silently Rhett went over to her closet and blinked at how big it was, and gave a low whistle before going in and choosing a corner to hide.

Elsa stretched and sat up on the edge of her bed. "You may come in." 

Anna opened the door and skipped in with a wide smile on her face. "Morning!"

Elsa raised a brow. "I'm shocked you're up this early."

Anna tilted her head and gave her a confused look. "What do you mean? Elsa, it's almost noon. You're the one who slept in." She then moved toward the closet. "Figured I would help you get dressed for the day!"

Rhett froze at the what he heard before quickly looking around, he had to do better than just hide in a corner. Quietly he snuck around to a pile of clothes Elsa had worn earlier in the week, to him it seemed like his only shot of being hidden. Going to the closest corner, he started to pile the clothes on top of him, making sure no part of him could be seen.

"I um..." Elsa's eyes widened. "It's ok, I can dress myself for the day."

"No no, I'm helping you. You haven't been feeling well, so I'm helping you-- no buts!" Anna exclaimed and opened the closet. She walked in to choose a suitable dress for that day.

Rhett held his breath as Anna entered the closet, 'Please don't let her see me...' he thought.

Anna smiled wide when she found the purple dress she'd been looking for. She then turned to Elsa and skipped out, leaving the closet door open. "Okay, need me to unlace your nightgown?"

Elsa's face turned red. "I-I don't think I need help, Anna." Her eyes shifted to the closet door for a moment before moving back to her sister.

Rhett resumed his breathing, but kept it light so that Anna wouldn't be able to hear him.

Anna rolled her eyes. "Excuses. Come on, turn around." When Elsa hadn't made a move, she took her sister by the shoulders and turned her back, beginning to untie the knot to her nightgown.

Elsa froze. "A-Anna, really I can just get dressed myself behind the screen..."

Anna paused and gave her an odd look. "It's just me.. unless... someone  _ else  _ is here as well?"

Elsa's face when red as a tomato.

"Huh, I don't think I've ever seen you do an impression of a tomato before, Elsa.  _ Is  _ there someone?"

"There's no one. Anna... I'm just... feeling self-conscious today," she said, biting her lip.

Anna narrowed her eyes. She then sighed and placed Elsa's dress on the bed nicely. "Alright, I give. Just let me know when you're done. Okay?" When Elsa nodded, she headed out.

Rhett gave a soft sigh and inched closer to the door of the closet, not wanting to jump up, just in case Elsa was changing.

Elsa gave a sigh of relief and scooped up her dress, making her way to the screen. "It's safe now, Rhett."

Hesitantly he emerged from her closet. "That... was a close one..." he said in somewhat of a hushed tone.

Elsa bit her lip. "Sorry.. about that." She then moved behind the screen to get privacy while she changed.

"It's fine," he said before looking away, "I'm gonna wait for a few more minutes before leaving if that's ok... just in case she's just outside the door"

"Oh, she's likely waiting outside the door..." she said.

"Yeah... and if I head out now, that could end badly for us.." he said with a small chuckle.

"Or maybe for you," she replied from behind the screen. She flopped her nightgown over the top as she started putting on her dress.

A couple minutes later, Rhett started silently step towards the door, scenting the air to check how close Anna was.

Once she was finished getting dressed, she stepped around the screen. "Something wrong?" she asked.

"Just cautious is all," he said before peering out of the door.

Elsa nodded. "It's possible she got distracted by food... or a shirtless Kristoff."

"Seems so. Well I'll catch you later then, if you need anything let me know." He said before leaving and trotting back to his room.

"Okay," she replied and watched him leave. Elsa then sighed. "I have a lot of work to do.."

A few hours later, Rhett had... somewhat managed to contain his bedhead and was currently relaxing in the gardens.

Anna found him in the gardens not long after. She leaned over him, her face and braids dangling in front of his face. "Hey!"

Rhett looked up at her, somewhat unfazed, "Hey, what's up?"

She shot him a wide smile and sat across from him. "Nothing much! Just bored. Watcha doin' out here?"

He shrugged, "Not much, just thinking is all.."

"About what?"

He sighed, "A lot of things actually... Drakkar among other things..."

Anna nodded. "Elsa too, she shooed me away from her office. She's working hard..."

"Yeah.. I'd say it'd be best to leave her alone for much of today, with Drakkar likely plotting an attack, we need ideas on how we can stop him."

"I know... that's why I came here instead. I'm a little lost, actually...I want to help, but Elsa wants to be alone and I learn everything from her.."

Rhett bit his lip, "I have no clue sadly.. I mean if we could just get our minds away from all this for a night or two... that'd be greatly appreciated..."

"Get our minds away is a good ide--" Anna jumped up with a gasp. "I know! I have the perfect thing!" She spun around with a wide smile. "See you later!"

Rhett jumped a bit, her sudden burst of enthusiasm taking him by surprise. "Uhhh... ok?" he said watching her go.

The next day, Rhett was walking down the hallway, glancing at Elsa's office before continuing.

Anna spotted him from around the corner and grabbed him by the arms with a wide smile. "Come with me!"

"GAH!!!" he exclaimed as she dragged him through the halls. "A-Anna!! Where are we going??"

"Shh! No questions! .. Yet," she exclaimed as she opened the doors to the library and tossed him in. "Be right back!"

Rhett stumbled after he was practically thrown in before looking back at the door. 'Jeez is she energetic....' he thought before sitting on a chair.

When Anna came back, she all but threw her sister in and exclaimed "I'll be right back!" and ran off.

Rhett went to Elsa's side, "Do you have  _ any  _ clue what she's doing?"

Elsa blinked. "I have no idea."

He sighed and gently shook his head, "Guess someone has to have the energy for all of us.."

Next, Kristoff was thrown in and landed on his nose with a low groan.

Rhett blinked, "Holy hell Kristoff, you ok?"

He groaned for another moment and just gave a thumbs up.

Elsa cringed.

He held out a hand to him in case he wanted help up. "Ball of energy isn't she?"

"Yeah," he replied, taking Rhett's hand so he could stand. "But.. that's why I'm with her."

Rhett gave him a small smile, "Well, it's nice to know you love her for who she is. Unlike  _ someone  _ I've run into.."

Kristoff gave him a confused look. "Who?"

"Brynjar..."

Elsa's eyes darkened and she frowned. "Brynjar doesn't understand the meaning of 'no'.."

"Or on how to properly treat people..." Rhett growled as he leaned against a wall.

Elsa sighed. "Something tells me I'll have to deal with him again later."

"Gods I hope we don't. For his sake, otherwise I'd claw his face off if I saw him again."

Elsa shot him a look. "Let me handle him, please. You could damage Arendelle's relationship with his kingdom and that is not a mess I want to pick up after."

He looked from her to the window, "Sorry.."

A moment later, Anna burst back in with a full bag over her shoulder. "Back! Did ya miss me?"

Rhett snapped his gaze over to the princess before eyeing the bag suspiciously, "What's in the bag...?"

Anna's smile widened. "You'll see."

He glanced over at Kristoff, hoping he'd have a clue as to what tricks Anna had up her sleeves.

Catching Rhett’s eye, Kristoff just shrugged.

Elsa sighed. “Anna, please. I don’t have time for your games.”

“Yes you do! You’ve been working your butt off for days, so now it’s time for a break!” Anna said as she dragged the bag in and dropped it on the floor

Rhett glanced up at Anna before kneeling in front of the bag. Looking in between the others he then decided to open it.

Anna rushed over and closed up the bag. “No peeking!”

Rhett jumped back with a low rumble, obviously a bit irritated.

Anna pulled the bag aside and opened it to take the first thing out. She shuffled over to Elsa with a box of chocolate truffles. “First, for your troubles, sister.”

Elsa blinked, taking it from her sister. “Wait.. this brand is hard to get. Anna how—“

“I have my ways~~”

Rhett raised an eyebrow, at her, why was she just giving things that are hard to get away for free?

Elsa put the box of chocolate aside on a table and pulled Anna in for a tight hug. “Thank you..”

Anna pulled away from Elsa, but not without moving a strand of hair out of her sister’s face. “I know these past few days have been rough on you, but I’m still here to support you no matter what.”

Elsa smiled at her, “and I you.”

With one last smile, Anna turned to the rest of them. “Alright, close your eyes! No peeking!”

He glanced over at Elsa before closing his eyes. 

However once Anna placed the object he raised an eyebrow, unsure of what the object she had given him was.

“You may open!”

Rhett's green eyes fluttered open before looking down at what he had in his hand. He gave Anna a look, "Really... a nail clipper?"

She gave him an innocent smile. “Just so your claws aren’t  _ too  _ sharp!”

He merely rolled his eyes, a small smile crossing his face, "Thanks."

She then bounded over to Kristoff and handed him a small lute. “It’s the world’s smallest lute!”

Kristoff chuckled in response, "Thanks love," he said before kissing her cheek.

Rhett looked back down at the nail clipper before turning to Elsa, "Are my nails really that sharp?"

Elsa laughed lightly. “Perhaps. We don’t want your claws curling too far, do we?”

He gave a slight chuckle before putting it in his pocket.

"And now.. for the main course. Everyone come closer," Anna demanded, opening her bag just slightly.

Elsa raised a brow and moved cautiously.

Rhett took a hesitant step forward, eyeing the bag cautiously.

She pulled out a giant pillow and wacked Rhett on the head. "Got ya!"

The shapeshifter blinked for a moment before narrowing his eyes, a small smirk crossing his face. "Oh it is  _ ON,"  _ he snarled before lunging forward at her, "C'mere!"

A couple hours later... Rhett was walking back down the hallway, attempting to smooth his hair from the ravenous beating of pillows from earlier.

Elsa, in a better mood, skipped through the hallway humming to herself.

He watched her pass, "Looks like someone's in a better mood."

Elsa paused and her cheeks tinged pink. "It's... been a while. Anna and I used to play like that all the time when we were little.."

He walked beside her, "Really?"

Elsa nodded, slowing down and gave a soft smile. "Yeah and I can't remember the last time I actually had fun either.."

"Well,  _ that  _ needs to change," he said, giving her a slight nudge.

"Once in a blue moon," she stated. "Now I need to get back to work.."

His smile faded a bit, "Alright then, if you want me to I can bring you a snack later."

Elsa nodded. "I should be fine, though. I'll talk to you later." She bounded back off in the direction of her study.


	21. Chapter 21

A week later, Rhett had just gotten out of the shower, walking over to his dresser he started to go through some clothes, unsure of what to wear.

Anna burst open through the door. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

Rhett jumped, "JESUS FUCK!!" he exclaimed before snapping his attention to her. "WHAT THE HELL ANNA?!" He yelled, slightly shifting on his feet in an attempt to hide himself.

Anna’s cheeks reddened, but a tiny smirk was pulled along her face so far that it could rival Elsa’s. “Woah. That’s a... whew. You really were hiding  _ something  _ under those trousers!”

The shapeshifter's cheeks reddened as he narrowed his eyes. "Give me a couple minutes so I can get dressed," he growled.

“Mhmmm,” she hummed and crossed her arms. Then, she muttered under his breath as she turned to the door just loud enough for him to hear. “My poor sister might be too small for you..”

He paused as he got some underwear and glared back at her, "For the last fucking time I have no interest in dating your sister."

“Maybe not now, but you will~” Anna sang as she walked out.

Rhett rolled his eyes as he finished getting dressed, "I swear if she doesn't knock next time..."

Once dressed, he started back down the hallway, struggling to get his hair in a ponytail.

Elsa rounded the corner just as he was starting down the hallway.

Rhett gave an annoyed growl, "Goddamn this stupid hair band" he hissed under his breath.

Elsa gasped when she nearly collided into him and halted, stepping back with a hand on her chest. “Rhett, apologies.”

"Oh! Uh.. hey? Am I really  _ that  _ scary?" He said, a small smirk crossing his face.

“No,” she replied with a shake of her head. “I just didn’t see you there.”

He gave her a small smile. "Either way, sorry for startling you."

Elsa clasped her hands. “It’s alright,” she said. Then, bit her lip. “Um.. Anna said it was your birthday?”

"Yeah..? Why?"

She gave a small smile. “Happy birthday.”

He blinked, "Uh... thanks..?"

“Do you... not celebrate birthdays back where you come from?”

"No. Why would we? I mean.. I was lucky to make it past ten."

Elsa blinked. “To celebrate the people you love for being alive?”

He pursed his lips in thought, "Well... It's not like we would've had time to celebrate."

Elsa sighed. “Well, you’re in Arendelle now. We celebrate birthdays and I’m sure Anna is cooking something up, knowing her. Here...” She reached for his hand and turned his wrist so his palm faced upwards. With a swirl of her free hand, she sculpted a small saber tooth ice figurine. “We also give each other gifts.”

He blinked in surprise, "Wow... That's... That's beautiful..!" A small smile crossed his face before he looked back at Elsa, "Thanks..."

She returned the smile and her eyes flickered down to the icy sabertooth then back up at him. “As long as I’m alive, it won’t melt. I promise,” Elsa confirmed and winked.

He gave a small chuckle before glancing back down at the small figure. "I'll put this on my dresser before anything happens to it," he said with a smile.

Elsa nodded. “I won’t keep you.”

A couple moments later he caught back up with her, "Hey uh... could you help me with my hair..?"

She blinked. “What’s wrong with it?”

He gave a small frown, "I can't get the hang of this hairband thing.."

Elsa chuckled. "Come here." She took the band from him and gingerly pulled his hair back, tying it in a low ponytail for him.

A small smile spread across his face, as he felt her gentle hands go through his soft hair. Once she was done he turned to face her, "Thanks."

"You're welcome," she replied.

"So... what all do you guys do for birthdays?"

"Oh, well.. Anna usually likes big parties. And I.. just a small gathering is fine."

He paused, "H-how big are we talking...?"

"Almost the entire village is invited into the courtyard..."

"The entire  _ village _ ....?"

"I said almost! It.. it was a surprise party I made for her," she said, cheeks reddening.

"I hope she doesn't decide to do the same to me..."

Elsa shrugged. "Not likely."

He gave a small relieved sigh, "Good.. have you seen her at all today?"

"Just this morning," she replied. "Not sure where she bounded off to after that. What about you?"

"Hmm... well... the first and well.. last I've seen of her today was when she barged into my room after I had just gotten out of the shower."

Elsa frowned. "She's still barging in? I had a conversation about that with her.." she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. "I'm so sorry."

He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry about it, I think I have a plan of what to do for next time"

Elsa raised a brow. "What would that be?"

"Next time she barges in I'll just go saber."

"Please don't accidentally kill her."

"God I hope I don't... all I'm thinking is just a mock charge, y'know lunge forward with a fearsome roar."

"Scratch that.. I think she might accidentally kill  _ you _ ," Elsa deadpanned.

He laughed, "Hey, it'd be something worth trying."

Elsa rolled her eyes. "Don't come crying to me if she stabs you."

"If she does, I'll stab her back..."

Elsa narrowed her eyes. "You'd be a fool to think I'd allow that."

He looked back a her, "You're a fool for thinking I'm serious about harming her.."

Elsa's nostrils flared. "Just making sure. I know you're not too... fond of her."

"She gets on my nerves sometimes is all, I don't have a personal vendetta against her by any means"

"...Okay you have a point," she sighed.

"Apologies if it seemed like I did."

“It’s alright, um... I’ll see you later?”

"Sure, let's just hope what Anna comes up with isn't too hectic.."

Elsa nodded then headed to her study.

A few hours later, Rhett was back in his room, looking at the small sculpture Elsa had given him.

There was a knock on his door.

"Come in." 

Anna walked in with a wide smile. “You ready?”

He blinked in confusion, "Ready for what?"

“Your birthday party!” She grabbed his wrists and yanked him out of the room.

He exclaimed in surprise as he was yanked away from his room, still not used to Anna's strength.

Anna giggled as she dragged him down the stairs and to the ballroom, grinning from ear to ear. Once they halted, she let go of him and pushed open the double doors. On the other side Kristoff, Sven, Olaf, and Elsa yelled, “Happy birthday!”

Rhett jumped back a bit, his green eyes wide with surprise. Hesitantly he took a couple steps in, "Erm... thanks guys..."

“Elsa told me you wouldn’t like a large party, so.. here we are!”

He gave her a small smile, "Thanks Anna.."

As if on cue, Elsa stomped a foot on the ground and raised her hands. A row of ice trees grew and lined up in a pathway down the ballroom.

Rhett then stepped back in awe as he watched Elsa in action, his smile turning into a small, childish grin.

Once she was done, Elsa clasped her hands and looked back at him with a small smile.

He looked from the icy trees around the room before looking back at her with a small smile, hesitantly he walked over to one of the trees, his pupils turning into slits.

Quick as a flash he leapt onto one of the branches and sat up there. "This is just... fantastic!"

Elsa laughed lightly. “I can keep them here for a while, if you’d like.”

"Could you please?" He asked excitedly before looking to the next tree over and easing himself to almost the end of a branch.

“Of course,” she replied, watching him with glittering eyes.

He gave her a small grin before leaping off the branch towards one of the other trees, shifting mid-leap. However this time, he didn't shift into a sabertooth, his body became leaner, his coat shorter, teeth were replaced by shears of bone and his tail lengthened. Expertly landing on the opposing branch it became clear he had turned into something  _ very  _ exotic

Elsa blinked in shock. “What..?”

Rhett looked down at her confused, "What? What's wrong?"

Elsa shook her head. “Nothing, just wasn’t expecting you to change.”

"What do you mean? You've seen me turn into a sabertooth multiple times"

“You’re.. not a sabertooth.”

He blinked in confusion, "You do know I have only one form right...?"

Elsa bit her lip. “Then this isn’t your usual form.”

Rhett raised an eyebrow before climbing down the tree, his tail twitching. Looking back he saw it and jumped back " **JESUS CHRIST** !"

Elsa flinched and folded her arms. “Um.. you okay?”

"Uhh... can you create an ice mirror real quick...?'

Elsa nodded and created a mirror for him.

Hesitantly he stalked over to his reflection, trying to recognize what odd beast he'd turned into. After a couple minutes he sat back on his haunches seemingly even more confused than before. "Huh..."

Elsa raises a brow. “Have you never changed into this before?”

He gently shook his head, "N-no... If anything I shouldn't be able to..."

“Shouldn’t be able to? Do all shapeshifters only have one form?”

"Well... yeah... erm... kinda..." He started with a sigh, "Shapeshifters are only supposed to have three forms.. one for land, one for air, one for water.. and well... If I have two terrestrial forms... What does that mean about my other forms..?"

Elsa shrugged. “Maybe two of each then?” she teased.

He gave another sigh, "If only, I mean.. that would be interesting to say the least."

Elsa nodded. “Well, are you going to stay up there all day or are you going to join us?”

He looked up at her before looking back at the trees, "Join you..? For what..?"

“For the rest of your celebration, silly.”

He blinked in confusion, "Wait... what?"

“We have gifts!” Anna exclaimed.

His eyes widened a bit before glancing over at Elsa, "Oh! Cool!"

Elsa offered him a small smile.

He padded over to Anna, shifting mid stride back into a human. "So.. where exactly are we heading then?"

“We’re not going anywhere. Just staying here!”

"Oooh..." Rhett said before sitting down. Looking around the room, a small smile returned to his face.

A couple hours later, Rhett was in his room looking at the small collection of gifts on his dresser, however the small sabertooth sculpture Elsa had given him had to be his favorite.

Elsa knocked on his door.

He looked over at the door, "Come in."

Elsa walked in with a small smile on her face. "I hope the party wasn't too much for you? I talked Anna into toning it down."

He gave her a small smile back, "Thanks. I assume you talked to her about knocking as well?"

"Again? Yes, I had to."

He gave a small chuckle, "Again, thank you."

She returned his chuckle with a smile. "You're welcome."

He moved to sit on the bed in front of her, before looking at the small sculpture, "I still can't get over how beautiful that sabertooth is.."

Her eyes followed his to the ice sculpture she'd created earlier that day. "Is it? As beautiful as you say, I mean."

He nodded, "Yeah! It's just  _ amazing _ , kinda wish I was good at three dimensional art."

Elsa shrugged. "It's easier when you have powers that'll make anything you think of."

He gave a small laugh, "Yeah, you're probably right.."

"But.." she paused, walking toward where he placed the sabertooth. "We have books in the library on sculpting, if you still want to learn."

He bit his lip in thought, "Alright then.. I may look into it"

Elsa nodded and stood there, hesitating. She bit her lip and wrung her hands.

Rhett motioned to the bed, "If you want to sit, go ahead. I won't bite."

"Are... you sure? I don't want to intrude."

"Positive, Elsa," he said with a warm smile.

She looked between him and the bed before walking over to sit down.

He gave her a smile as she sat next to him before giving a contented sigh.

"When Anna surprised me last year for my birthday, it was a small gathering as well."

He looked back at her, "Sounds like she knows you pretty well."

Elsa gave a small smile. "She does.."

"So, when you can, do you spend a lot of time with her?"

Elsa nodded. "I do. At least, I try to be available for her... it's hard when you're a queen."

"Really? Even for a peaceful kingdom like Arendelle?"

"Peaceful, but busy," she replied with a sigh.

Rhett moved to lay on his stomach, giving a small stretch. A loud pop echoed around the room. "Ohhhh.... damn..." He said with a small shudder, "That felt good..."

Elsa grimaced and covered her mouth. "You okay?"

He gave a small nod, "Yeah. I'll be fine, must be because the new shift.."

"Maybe.. is there anything else I can do for you?" she asked.

"You've done so much for me Elsa... if there's anyone who should be asking that question it should be me," he said with a smile on his face.

Elsa raised a brow. "Just accept it."

He gave her a small smirk, "Alright then, your  _ majesty _ ,"he teased with a small bow.

She returned the smirk. "Well... I should get out of your hair then."

"In all seriousness, if you want to stay, I wouldn't mind the company.."

She raised her brows, a little surprised. "Are you sure?"

He nodded, "Of course, if you want you can lie down as well"

Taking his invitation, she stretched and yawned, falling back onto the bed. "It's been a long day.."

He lay next to her, "Yeah.. it has. But it was amazing.. thank you so much."

Elsa smiled. "Don't thank just me. Anna really planned everything."

"I will next time I see her.... is... is that what all birthday parties are like..?"

Elsa shook her head. "Not all. Birthday parties are.. to celebrate the person yes.. but in a way that they love."

He looked back up at the ceiling, "Huh..."

Elsa nodded and closed her eyes with a low hum.

He looked back at her, a small smile crossing his face before he too, leaned back and closed his eyes.

A couple minutes later, Elsa dozed off.

Rhett sat up and looked down at her. In all honesty he was too tired to even try to take her back to her room. Getting up, he groggily went and closed the door before giving Elsa a small smile. Gently he moved her to one side of the bed and tucked her in, the day seemed to have really taken it out of her. Once she was all nice and snug, he went to the bathroom to change before curling up under the covers as well.


	22. Chapter 22

The next morning, Elsa stirred for a moment and blinked her bleary eyes. She furrowed her brows upon seeing Rhett, but was too tired to care and set her head down again, curling closer to him for warmth.

A couple hours later... Rhett stirred and sat up, looking down he blinked in surprise, he hadn't expected for her to spend the whole night with him.

Her brows furrowed in her slumber. "Don't... leave me alone..." she murmured.

He looked at her concerned before shifting to embrace her, "I'm not going anywhere... ok?" He murmured in her ear.

A moment later, a hurried and panicked knock sounded at Rhett's door.

He snapped his attention to the door, and bit his lip, not wanting to cause Elsa to have an episode, he stayed put, "Come in.."

Anna opened the door and hurried in, panicking. "I can't find Elsa anywhere I think Drakkar took--" she cut off when she saw who was curled up next to Rhett. 

"She fell asleep in here last night and honestly, I was too tired to even try to take her back to her room. To be fair, I thought for sure she'd wake up and head back to her room on her own..." He said as he gently ran his fingers through Elsa's hair.

Anna froze, watching them. Her mouth opened and closed for a few moments, but no sound came. "I... is she okay?" she asked, frowning.

Rhett nodded, "She was just absolutely wiped after yesterday," he said before turning to her. "Thank you by the way."

Anna blinked, then smiled. "It was nothing. I like celebrating people!"

"Well... it certainly was different than previous years," he said with a smile.

"You're welcome!" she replied, then looked over to Elsa. A sly smile bloomed along her face. "So you  _ cuddled _ , huh?"

"Not my intention really, seems she gravitated towards me through the night."

Anna raised a brow. "Mhmmm, sure."

He shot her a look before giving a soft sigh and looking up at the small figure Elsa gave him.

Anna's eyes followed his gaze. "What's that?"

"A small sculpture Elsa gave me yesterday, wasn't too long after you barged in on me," he said with a small smirk.

Anna's eyes widened. "Aw, it's so cute!"

He gave a small smile as he looked over at the sculpture, the waves of blue light coursing through it like a heartbeat. "Yeah.. it really is..." Rhett responded before looking back down at Elsa.

"Well," Anna started, backing toward the door with a wide smile on her face. "I'll leave you two alone."

He looked back at her, "Thanks."

Anna exited the room with a sly smile.

Rhett merely shook his head before continuing to run his hand through Elsa's hair.

About fifteen minutes later, Elsa stirred and shifted. Finally, she sat up and rubbed her eyes. “Wha...?”

"Morning," he said, shifting to lie on his stomach.

Elsa looked down at him in confusion. “How did I...? Did I fall asleep here?”

He nodded, "Yep... "

Elsa sighed and ran her hands through her hair. “Sorry...”

He placed a gentle hand on hers, "Don't be, my door is always open, ok?"

She looked at their hands then up at him and gave a small, hesitant smile. “If you say so.”

He gave a small smile back before moving to put his head in her lap before giving a soft sigh. "Yesterday was... fantastic..."

She looked down at him, surprised, but poked his head instead. “Was it?”

He nodded, "Yeah... Wait... are those like an annual thing...?"

Elsa blinked. “Birthdays? Of course.”

He looked up at her surprised, "Really?"

“Yeah, we want to celebrate the life of those we love.. why wouldn’t we do so each year?”

He pursed his lips in thought before giving a small shrug. "I dunno, guess it's just another thing I'll have to get used to."

“If you don’t want a celebration, that’s fine. Just warn Anna ahead of time.”

"Ok then, we'll see. Although.. I hope I live to see my next one..."

Elsa frowned. “Whatever makes you think that? Of course you will.”

"You sure...? With Drakkar I mean...."

Elsa nodded. “I won’t let him get to you,” she said, taking his hand in hers. “He’ll have to get through me first.”

He looked from where their hands were before back up to her. The shapeshifter gave a small smile and moved a bit to get closer to her.

When he moved closer, she moved her hand to his hair and ran her fingers through his ponytail.

He gave a small hum of delight, "Y'know... I'm glad I tried to kill you..." he said with a small chuckle.

Elsa raised a brow. “Why?”

"Because if I hadn't, I wouldn't have met the most amazing people ever.."

She gave a small smile. “Then, I’m glad as well.”

He gave another small chuckle, "I probably could have worded that better, huh?"

Elsa shrugged. “Perhaps, but it doesn't matter so much to me. I mean, if I didn’t run off into the mountains and almost get killed by a foreign prince, I wouldn’t have my sister back.”

Rhett blinked in surprise, "Wait, what?"

Elsa pursed her lips and sighed. “You weren’t the first to try and kill me... and looks like you won’t be the last.”

"Well at least from now on, I'll do my damndest to protect you.."

Her cheeks colored lightly. “It’s alright... I can protect myself, clearly.”

"Still, there's safety in numbers"

“You have a point,” she replied and absently ran her fingers along his bangs.

A small smile crossed his face as she did so. "Man I wish days like this lasted forever.."

“Yeah? Why’s that?” she murmured, sending a small swirl of magic around him and toward the sabertooth sculpture.

His green eyes lightened up a bit as he watched the small spurt of magic. "No problems... no worries..."

She laughed. “Must be nice. I’m a Queen, I can’t not worry.”

"But you can at least get your mind away from things for a bit... right?"

Elsa shrugged. “A little..” she trailed off and frowned.

He looked up at her a bit worried, "You ok?"

“I’m just.. overwhelmed is all. Speaking of... I have to start work for the day. Send out those letters,” she stated, chewing her bottom lip.

He moved to sit up and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, "Alright then. If you need anything, let me know, ok?"

Elsa turned to him and nodded. “Thanks, but I’ll be okay.” She then stood.

Rhett watched her get up to leave before shifting a bit in bed, "Well... my offer still stands.."

Getting to the door, she glanced back at him and nodded. “I’ll see you later?”

He gave her a soft smile, "Sure."

She nodded again and, with a small smile, opened the door and headed out to her room to get ready for the day.

A couple hours later, Rhett was walking down the hallway, lost in thought. 

At her desk, Elsa had a small pile of letters to be sent out. She sighed and leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms and chewing on her bottom lip.

Rhett passed by her office, a growing worry on his face.

"What's with the long face?" Anna asked, having had rounded the corner and noticed Rhett.

He looked up at her, roused from his thoughts. "Huh? Oh.. hey Anna"

"You didn't answer my question," she deadpanned.

"Sorry, I didn't catch what you said."

"Why the long face?"

He gave a small shrug, "Just been thinking about yesterday. Not the party itself, that was absolutely amazing, I'm just unsure of my abilities.."

"Oh... have you tried it again yet?"

He nodded, "And it's just... so confusing... concerning even.."

"Well, you can try and shift into it and test it out? Maybe Elsa can help!"

"You sure? I mean she's got too much going on right now.. I really don't want to bother her.."

“Rhett,” Anna sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder. “My sister won’t admit it, but she’s been going out of her way for you since you got here. I doubt she’ll think you’re bothering her. If anyone around here knows about magic acting weird... well, it’s Elsa.”

He looked at her before biting his lip and giving a small nod, "Thanks.." He said before heading to Elsa's office and knocking on her door.

She returned a wide smile. “Yup!”

Elsa looked up. “You may enter,” she said, sitting up straighter. 

He took a couple steps in and gave her a small smile, "Hey.. I need some help..."

Elsa’s brows raised when Rhett walked in, she could tell something was troubling him. “What could I help you with?”

He sighed and leaned against the wall, "My abilities, ever since last night it's just been.... well... confusing... and honestly, concerning..."

Elsa chewed her bottom lip. "You mean your new form?" 

He gave a small nod, "Yeah.. it's been bugging me all day..." 

Elsa stood from her desk and slowly made her way over to him. "I can try to help... but your type of power is a bit out of my element." 

Rhett bit his lip, "I know.. but... shapeshifters are only supposed to have three forms, one for air, one for land, and one for water. But after last night I... I don't know anymore..." 

"Um.." Elsa thought for a moment before glancing up at him. "Give me about an hour? I just need to finish up paperwork, then we can do some research in the library? Maybe we can find something on shapeshifters." 

He gave a small nod and went off, "Sorry for bothering you."

"Rhett," she called. A tiny frown was set on her face. "You could never bother me." 

He turned to face her, biting his lip. "Well I don't want to interrupt you while you're doing something important." 

"What? Silly trade agreements? You're more important." 

He gave her a small frown before leaving the room. 

Elsa frowned, watching him go, then sighed. "Time to finish these real quick..." 

About an hour later Rhett was in the library, looking out one of the windows, once again he had shifted into a marsupial lion.

Elsa quietly entered the library, having set aside the rest of her day to help Rhett, and made her way over to him. She hovered a couple feet away. "Hey.. 

The marsupial whirled around to face her, the fur along his back raised. Upon seeing who he was he gave a sigh of relief before relaxing, "Hey.." 

Elsa glanced at the window before gesturing to the bookshelves, "You ready?" 

Rhett nodded and stood up before padding over to one of the shelves and shifting, "Here's to hoping we find something useful..." 

Elsa nodded and began to skim the shelves, pulling out books she thought might be useful.

After around an hour later Rhett sighed, so far there had been nothing at all on shapeshifters or mages so far. He turned to Elsa, "Any luck...?" 

Elsa shook her head with a frown. "No.." 

"Maybe we should just give up.."

Elsa frowned deeper. "Give up? No, we're not giving up." 

"I mean we've been searching through this room for a couple hours, and we haven't found anything." He said before leaning against one shelf. However as soon as he did so a book from the very top fell off and landed on his head, "OW!"

The title of the book caught Elsa's eye and she bent down to pick it up. "Are you alright?" 

Rhett rubbed the top of his head, "Yeah, I guess... man that's gonna leave a mark..." He said before checking his hand for any blood. Looking back up from where the book had fallen from he took a couple steps away, eyeing it warily.

Elsa flipped through the pages of the book, skimming through. "Well, it can't hurt that bad because this book has info on shapeshifters."

Almost instantly, he perked up a bit, "Really!" 

Elsa nodded, but didn't look up at him as she continued to flip through the pages. "It says that while most shapeshifters have three forms, on rare occasions, some can have more than that." 

"Do you think...  _ I _ could be one of those?" 

"Well, why not? It's plausible. You might even have two of each form." 

He bit his lip, "Maybe... or maybe I'm just unlucky enough to be the opposite..." 

Elsa placed the book on a nearby table and whirled on Rhett. She pursed her lips. "Would you say I'm unlucky to have been born with ice powers? That I was unlucky enough to be isolated because of it for most of my life?"

Rhett took a step back, his eyes wide with surprise and a hint of concern. Uncertain on how to take Elsa's sudden outburst.

"Because if you tell me no, then you have no right to tell yourself that you're unlucky or cursed in  _ any  _ way."

He looked away and gave a small sigh, his brows furrowing. "I'll just be quiet..."

Elsa furrowed her brows. "What has you so worked up over this? I can't help you if you shut me out."

He looked back towards the window, "If Drakkar decides to attack, there's not going to be anyway I'd be able to defend anyone from him if I'm stuck on the ground."

“Then why not try and see what will trigger a different form? If you don’t experiment, you won’t know what you’re fully capable of.."

"That's the thing. I've been in streams and rivers many times, but I haven't turned into anything different at all, and trying to turn into an aerial creature is even more difficult because I don't want to try doing something like jumping off a cliff or something and not being able to shift at all." 

“Maybe you need.. a different stimulation. You’ve climbed many trees before, but it was my ice tree that triggered your new form.”

He bit his lip in thought, "Maybe... Of course, that brings a whole new set of obstacles"

Elsa gave a sad smile. “What magic doesn’t?”

A small chuckle escaped him, "Fair point..."

“Maybe... you need to experiment with my powers?” 

He looked back at her, "Hmm... Maybe, it was your ice trees that helped me find that  _ Thylacoleo _ form.." 

“That’s what I said,” she replied, a small smirk on her face. 

"But. How exactly could your powers be able to unlock my other shifts?" 

Elsa shrugged. “I wish I knew.” 

He leaned back onto the floor with a sigh, "I hope we can figure it out before Drakkar decides to attack this place.." 

“...” Elsa sighed. “At least we know that’ll be a while..”

"Yeah... a couple months at least..." 

Elsa bit her lip. “Maybe we should try and experiment more. Together.” 

He sat up, "Hmm... I think I have an idea, why don't we head into my territory to test these things out..?"

“Your territory?” Elsa raised a brow. “You’re not planning on jumping me are you?”

He gave her a look, "I'm never going to hear the end of that... am I...?"

Elsa gave him a lopsided smile. “Nope.”

Rhett gave a small groan and buried his face in his hands, "Oh boy..."

“Alright, we don’t have time to waste. Show me the way.” 


	23. Chapter 23

A couple hours later Rhett stopped along a stand of pine trees and gave a small inhale, "Ah it feels good to be back out here..."

Next to him, Elsa smiled. “Sometimes I wish I could get out more.”

"I mean... we could  _ try  _ to have more things like this.."

If I could put aside more time for it... but I usually can’t,” she said with a sigh and frowned.

Rhett placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, "Well why don't we head out every chance we get?"

Elsa nodded. “We could try,” she replied, biting her lip.

He gave her a small smile, "Sounds good to me!" Rhett then started off, "I know a clearing not too far from here where we could start."

“Alright,” Elsa said and followed him. “I wonder what my magic has to do with yours? I mean, enough to trigger it?”

Rhett shrugged, "Beats me, although, it could've been my body trying to adapt to your ice trees, saber toothed cats aren't really adapted to climbing slippery surfaces.."

“That makes sense. So...what other animals can adapt to ice or winter that you might be able to turn into?” 

He frowned, "I wish that was an easier question..." 

“Maybe a reindeer?” 

Rhett visibly shuddered, "I hope not.. If I had, I probably would've eaten myself a long time ago. I mean, ever had venison?" 

Elsa scrunched her face. “Not a fan.” 

He shrugged, "Oh well, to each their own I guess, honestly I don't know how many times Kristoff has made me hungry, reindeer scent sticks to things like pungent glue." 

Elsa chuckled. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell him that.” 

Rhett gave a small chuckle back before stopping at the edge of a small creek. "Alright. Here we are." The area surrounding them was a decent sized clearing in the forest, plenty of trees and rocks scattered the area, perfect perches to get a headstart into the air from. 

Elsa assessed the area with wide eyes, her mouth nearly dropped open. She was in awe at the beauty of the area. “It’s.. wow..” 

He looked over at her, a small smile crossing his face, "Oh it gets better, maybe after we get done here I can show you around?" 

She offered a small smile. “I’d like that.” 

  
A couple hours later... Rhett got out of the creek, the only things he had on were his trousers, his shoes and shirt had been left on the river bank. "Ok. I think that's enough water for today..." 

Elsa frowned. “Are you sure? Do you want to try something else?” 

He walked up next to her, looking her up and down before shaking himself in an attempt to dry himself off, showering Elsa in the process. 

Elsa blinked, backing away. Though it was too late, she was already soaked. “Thanks..” 

He gave a small chuckle, "What? I wanted to share some of the fun, is that so bad?" 

Elsa scowled. “I didn’t want to get wet.” She sent a cold gust of wind toward him. 

Rhett jumped with a sharp yelp, and accidentally slipped on the river bank, causing him to fall back into the stream. " _ I hate water... _ " 

Elsa held back a laugh and created a snowbank for him around the water. "Probably too late for that now, but at least it's not water?" 

He got up and shook himself off again, this time away from her, "Still.. It's fuckin cold..." 

Elsa shrugged. "To each their own." 

Rhett went over to one of the large rocks and laid down on it, "I'm gonna dry off a bit, afterward, do you still want a tour of the territory?" 

Clasping her hands, Elsa smiled. "Sure, whenever you're ready." 

He gave her a smile before a soft sigh escaped his lips, "Man I missed sunbathing on these rocks..." 

"I couldn't relate," she said with a wry smile. 

"There's plenty of room up here if you want to try it out" 

Elsa shook her head. "I'm alright. Not my thing, I overheat easily." 

Rhett gave a small nod of understanding before moving to lay on his stomach, a small smile crossed his face as he looked around. He felt so.. relaxed out here.

Elsa watched him with a small smile on her face while settling to sit on a smooth rock in the shade. 

A few minutes later, Rhett hopped off from the rock and went back over to where his shirt and shoes were. After putting them on he looked around, deciding on the best way to go, "Wanna head upstream? Or downstream? 

Elsa stood up and shrugged. "Wherever you want to go." 

He nodded, "Let's head upstream then." 

Elsa hummed in agreement and followed.

After around an hour or so of hiking through along the riverbed, a large waterfall came into view, nearly as tall as Arendelle castle, the waters were cool and clear, small shadows of fish could be seen darting about close to shore. Along a muddy bank, the tracks of an assortment of animals could be seen. "Whelp, here we are, the northernmost part of my territory."

Elsa paused and assessed the area with wide eyes. Her gaze lingered on the gorgeous waterfall, picking out a small rainbow in the mist before moving on to the fish. Her mouth opened in a small 'o' of awe. "It's.. beautiful." 

He gave a small smile, "It's even prettier at night, there's no light pollution out here, so all you can see are just stars upon stars. This place is also a hotspot for animal life, I often came here to hunt when there wasn't prey in the lower areas around here." Rhett started to walk casually around the decent sized lake before stopping near some tracks, eyeing them cautiously.

Elsa followed him, her eyes darting from one area to the next--still in awe. "I don't understand why you would even want to stay in Arendelle after seeing and knowing how peaceful this place is." 

"Well for instance, you don't have to worry about other predators... or poachers..." He said glaring at a footprint in the mud. Cautiously he looked around, "It's a good thing you're wearing something bright... 

Elsa furrowed her brows. "Why?" 

"Because if you weren't... you may be accidentally  _ shot _ ..." he said looking at the trail of boot prints that lead away from the lake. "Guess you could say there's trouble in paradise..." 

Her eyes widened. "Shot? Poachers?" 

Rhett nodded, "It's happened to me before.. and I certainly don't want it to happen to anyone or anything, unless it's for true survival."

Elsa frowned. "I see..." she stared off to where the boot tracks seemed to be going. Then, without a word, she followed them.

He turned, and saw her leaving, "Elsa?" He asked. "I wouldn't head that way Elsa... that's where the poacher went."

Elsa glanced over her shoulder. "Why do you think I'm heading this way?" she said back, almost in a whisper.

Rhett blinked in confusion, "Are you insane? The moment they hear you they'll probably shoot you!" 

Elsa frowned. "I suppose I'm insane then." The queen ignored him and stalked forward, slowly following the boot prints. 

He gave a small sigh before hesitantly following her. A few minutes later Rhett looked around, "Okay... This part of the forest is pretty dense, you sure we should keep going?" 

Elsa held out her hands at her sides, frost accumulating at her fingertips in case. She glanced back at him. "I'm queen, this is still Arendelle territory. I won't allow poachers to get away with killing for sport." 

He bit his lip but continued following her. A little ways further a figure could be seen bending over some tracks. "Hrm... wolf tracks..." they grumbled. 

Elsa paused, eavesdropping on the hunter with narrowed eyes. She held out a hand for Rhett to halt. 

Rhett stopped a little bit behind her, watching the huntresses every move. 

The huntress stood back up, "Hmmm.. he said that beast was around here somewhere..." she muttered under her breath before examining some broken branches. 

"We should go...", Rhett muttered so silently it was hardly even a whisper. 

Elsa didn't give any sign that she'd heard him and moved out stealthily. 

Rhett grit his teeth but followed behind her, constantly checking his surroundings. However noticing a twig in Elsa's path he reached out to grab her shoulder, and bit his lip when he missed. Upon the snap, the huntress immediately whirled around and fired a crossbow bolt at their direction. 

Elsa gasped and shot up a thick wall of ice to block the arrow. Her eyes widened. She stumbled backward as she felt her chest restrict, remembering the day she’d been cornered in her ice palace. 

Rhett was quick to steady her, glaring daggers at the huntress, who blinked in shock at seeing the two there for a mere moment. A wry smile crossed her face, "Well, this is certainly a surprise. What are you doing all the way out here your majesty?"

Finding her footing, Elsa stood tall with her hands at her sides. She took a deep breath and banished any quick flashbacks she’d had and zeroed in on the huntress. “I should be asking you the same thing. This is still Arendelle territory, I’m allowed to be here.”

Rhett gave Elsa's shoulder a small squeeze in an attempt to soothe her before she stood up. 

The huntress leaned against a tree, "Captain Creighton, at your service your Majesty. Got word from some of the local farmers out here of a monster, and I'm here to track it down." 

Elsa frowned. “A monster?” She shook her head. “I can assure you there’s no monster. No animal is a monster..” 

"Judging from those I've spoken to, this monster is some sort of big cat, way bigger than a lynx, almost approaching a bear in size. Brown spotted fur, and razor sharp teeth. The only thing that matches those qualities is a saber toothed cat.  _ But  _ since those are long extinct, it can only mean you have one thing turning in Arendelle... a shapeshifter. And I'm here to find it." 

Elsa’s frown deepened. She clenched her fists at her sides. “I can’t allow you to hunt anything down, shapeshifter or not.” 

Rhett took an uneasy step back. Not really too keen on where this was heading.

"Look your Majesty, would you rather have your people living in peace with nothing to fear, or have them and their livestock ripped apart limb from limb," Creighton said before going to take the arrow she had fired back. 

She watched the huntress’s every move, blocking Rhett from view. “It’s nature,” she replied. “Every animal needs to eat and I can guarantee you that this ‘monster’ is more afraid of us than we are of it. As far as I know, it’s only gone for livestock otherwise I would rather reports of people being mauled coming straight back to me in the castle.” 

"Kind of odd that they wouldn't tell you if they've gone after livestock," she remarked, reloading her crossbow. "Either way. If I find this  _ Homo multiformus _ , I'll be sure to rid your kingdom of it and let you know." Creighton then turned to the Queen, eyeing Rhett cautiously before going deeper into the forest. 

Once she was out of sight, Rhett let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "Let's get out of here..." 

None of this settled well with Elsa. There was a hunter in Arendelle’s territory and she needed to know who sent her. The why wasn’t enough. She didn’t budge at Rhett’s plea, almost as if she hadn’t heard it. 

He shifted uncomfortably on his feet, before glancing behind him. "E-Elsa...?" 

Elsa sighed and relaxed her shoulders. Rationality settled in. It would do her nor Rhett any good to jump into danger without assessing the area first. Perhaps later she could approach the huntress without Rhett nearby. The queen turned. “Yes, let’s go. Sorry.” 

Rhett gave a small nod before heading back to the lake, he was oddly silent during the short walk back. Stopping at the lake shore he gave a small sigh, "Uh... let's head downriver..."


	24. Chapter 24

Elsa nodded. As she followed Rhett, she gnawed at her bottom lip. “... do you know who that was?”

He gave a small shake of his head, "No.. but I have no doubt as to why she's here..."

She sighed. “Do you think she was actually sent here by Drakkar?”

"Drakkar, no... but it seems that someone else did... likely one of the local farmers..."

“I’m sorry. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of this once we get back.” 

He glanced back at her and gave her a small smile. "Thanks.. um... do you want to keep looking around the territory a bit?" 

Elsa paused and nodded. "Yeah, you can show me more." 

He gave a small nod in return before continuing downstream, a few minutes later he stopped and scented the air. "Actually... we should get somewhere dry. Big storm coming in."

Elsa nodded. “Shelter wouldn’t be a bad idea...”

"Alright then, follow me," he said before continuing downstream. About a half hour later, Rhett stopped at a decent sized cave opening, "Whelp, here we are.." 

Elsa smiled, moving toward the mouth of the cave. “It’s perfect.” 

He gave her a small smile before heading in, "Agreed." A he stepped inside a wave of nostalgia swept over him and a small sigh escaped his lips. "It feels good to be back.."

“Is this where you lived before...?” she trailed off, biting her lip as she ducked inside after him. 

Rhett gave a small nod, "Yeah." Moving over to one of the cave walls before picking up a stone and disappearing into the darkness. There was the brief sound of rocks against each other before a spark of flame brightened the cave. Along the walls were paintings of all sorts of animals, reindeer, elk, wolves among others. 

Elsa’s eyes widened as she took in the cave, awed by the designs scratched into the walls. “Did you do all of this?” 

He stopped and gave a small, embarrassed smile, "Yeah... that was me..." 

“They’re beautiful...” 

He gave a small awkward chuckle, "Uh... thanks.. erm.. anyway want to see the lower chamber?" 

She gave a tiny smile. “Sure.” 

Rhett took a torch and walked over to the fire, igniting it before heading down one of the corridors down to a smaller room. However the sight below made him stop. The floor had a large area of red on it, lighting a small cluster of twigs and branches, Rhett set the torch aside and knelt on the cave floor. 

Following Rhett, the queen’s brows raised and she paused, halting in her steps. “What’s wrong?” 

"The floor.... it's bloodstained..." He said darkly, looking around before resting his eyes on a large red paw print. Upon recognizing what it was he gave a small chuckle, "Well then..." 

Elsa shifted on her feet, biting her lip. “What is it?” 

Rhett looked back at her before shifting into a sabertooth and placing a paw on the print in the floor, it was a perfect match. "Seems like your work.." 

Elsa assessed in silence with wide eyes, face paling. Her hands trembled at her sides before she folded them under her arms in an attempt to calm. She stared at the scene for a solid minute before she could no longer stand it and turned on her heels to head out. 

A small trail of ice followed her. 

Rhett blinked in surprise before trotting after her, "Elsa?" 

Once outside, Elsa covered her mouth with a hand and took in a couple breaths to compose herself, snow flurrying around her. 

He stopped for a brief moment before padding up next to her and gently rested his head against her side, "It's ok Elsa... it's ok..." 

Elsa shook her head and no matter how she willed the tears back, they cascaded over her cheeks instead. “ _ I did that _ ,” she gasped out under her breath; to herself rather than him. 

"Yet, it was my fault" he said, padding around to face her. "If I hadn't had attacked you you wouldn't have felt the need to defend yourself... ok?" 

“That doesn’t matter,” she nearly growled, whirling on him. “I still nearly  _ killed you _ ! And... and all that blood! I... there was  _ so much _ ... it doesn’t matter if it was in self-defense, I still almost... to a living  _ being _ ...  _ again _ ,” Elsa rambled on, exasperated and red in the face. Ice accumulated beneath her. “I promised myself that I would never... not again..” 

Rhett was about to open his mouth to retort back before an arrow whizzed past, striking his ear. A roar of pain escaped him before he whirled towards the cave entrance with a snarl. 

Creighton was standing there at the cave's entrance, reloading her crossbow, aiming directly at Rhett. 

Elsa gasped. Eyes wide, she rushed to Rhett, hunching over him to see the damage. However, after a moment, she realized she wouldn’t have time and stood in front of him with her hands raised. “What are you doing?!” 

Rhett pulled away from her and shook his head from the pain, his claws becoming unsheathed, ready to fight. 

"I'm doin what I came here to do, your Majesty, extermination.." she said aiming for Rhett. "With him gone your people will be safe, as well as you." 

Elsa pursed her lips. “Rhett is not a danger! He’s my friend and you need to stand down!” 

Creighton shot the Queen a look, "You say that now, but before you know it he'll be tearing you limb from limb." 

The cat glared at her before lunging at her, swiftly pinning her to the cavern floor. His teeth glinting in the firefight. Rhett raised a paw in order to finish the woman beneath him off. 

“Rhett!” Elsa screamed and raised her hands, ready to conjure an ice blockade over the woman to block his swipe. “Stop!!” 

The great cat glanced back at her before placing his paw back on the ground. Shifting back, he grabbed Creighton by the collar and lifted her up a couple inches. " _ Never _ .  _ Come _ .  _ Back _ ." He growled menacingly before letting her go. The huntress merely nodded before running off, away from them. 

To make a point, Rhett took a deep inhale and gave a loud roar that echoed through the forest, a warning for any predator to stay away from them before sighing and sitting on the cave floor, the adrenaline drained from him.


	25. Chapter 25

Elsa was almost immediately at Rhett's side as the shapeshifter knelt to the ground, tilting his head up to look at his ear, which was now almost completely red with blood. "Here.. this may sting a bit.." she said before pressing a chilled hand to the damaged cartilage.

He winced with a soft hiss as the ice slowly crawled over the wound, sealing it shut, however it didn't take long for the chill to feel comfortable as it dulled the pain. "Thanks Elsa..." he said with a small, somewhat pained smile.

Elsa gave him a small smile in return before leaning back against the stone floor, her hands gracefully laid upon her lap. Looking back out a soft sigh escaped her lips at the storm outside. 

Rhett followed her gaze and bit his lip, "Well... looks like we'll be stuck out here for a while. Might as well try to get comfortable, who knows, we might be here all night."

She turned to him, her eyes wide with surprise, "All night..?"

He then nodded, "Yep. However that option is only for if the storm doesn't let up before it gets too dark."

Elsa bit her lip and wrung her hands a bit. "Well... I've been in colder and damper places before.."

Rhett turned to her, brow furrowed a bit in confusion. "Oh?"

She solemnly nodded, "You.. remember me telling you about the eternal winter last summer, correct?"

He nodded, his head tilting slightly, "Yeah..?"

"Well.. there was something I didn't tell you.. during that time, I was imprisoned.. and put in cuffs in hopes to seal my powers away.. I was lucky I got out of there otherwise.." she trailed off. "

His brow furrowed, "Otherwise what..?"

She sighed, her gaze still on the floor. "Otherwise.. they would've killed me..."

Rhett's eyes widened in shock, "Elsa... that's terrible.."

She merely shrugged, "I'm just glad it didn't end that way."

He gave her a small smile in response, "So am I.."

A couple hours later, Elsa was looking out of the cavern's entrance, watching as the rain continued to pour down.

Rhett glanced over at her for a moment before furrowing his brow in thought. His eyes widened for a moment before going off into a small offshoot of the cavern before stopping. Before him lay many lost objects and items that had helped him in his years of lonely survival out here. His gaze rested on a purple cape that he'd acquired from a snowdrift the summer before. Once he came back out with the cape in his arms, he gently wrapped it around Elsa. "I know you don't necessarily feel the cold but... here.."

Elsa gave a small smile as she felt the cloth draping over her shoulders, glancing over at it she paused, her eyes wide with surprise. "Rhett, where did you find this..?"

He paused and turned to look back at her confused. "Uh.. I found it in a snowdrift last summer. I'd used it as a blanket from last fall to early spring, why?"

She ran her fingers over the hem of the cape, her eyes scanning every little detail. "This cape... it.. it was mine... I wore this during my coronation.."

Rhett blinked and looked at it, only now noticing the crocus shaped emblem the back, however he was silent, his brow furrowing a bit.

Elsa turned to look at him, somewhat confused, "Rhett? Everything alright?"

"Hmm?" he asked, her question rousing him from his thoughts. "Oh, yeah I'm fine, I was just thinking, we could take it back with us if you'd like," he said with a smile.

Elsa looked back down at the fabric, her lips pursing slightly. "I'll... I'll think about it.. for now we should just ride out the storm.."

Rhett gave a small nod and lay beside her before shifting into a saber toothed cat, and giving his good ear a slight twitch. "Well... let's hope it doesn't rain all night.."

Elsa woke with a jolt as a flash of lightning illuminated the sky outside. Her blue eyes filled with fear as she looked around, the dream had been too real, almost as if she had relived the fateful day she and Rhett had met. The man had been lying in front of her, laying in a pool of his own blood, she had slain him, cornered him like an animal, she hadn't known he was human until his final breaths. As she looked around the cavern, her gaze settled on Rhett, the great cat seemingly asleep next to her. However at another flash of lightning she saw that his eyes were worriedly looking her up and down.

Sitting up, Rhett gave a small stretch before shaking his pelt out a bit. "Let me guess.. nightmare..?" he asked, concerned.

She gently leaned against his soft fur and gave a small nod, "Y-Yeah..."

"Want to talk about it..?"

At his question, Elsa gently shook her head. "N-No... I'd rather not.."

Rhett gave a small nod before gently rubbing his cheek against hers with a small chuff. Settling in beside her he flexed his paws and let her rest against him. "Easy now.. whatever it was, it was just a dream, okay? You're safe, we'll be back in Arendelle before you know it," he said with a small smile.

Elsa gave the faintest smile in return before getting comfortable against him. With a small sigh she started to doze back into slumber.

Rhett paused at the top of the hill and looked down towards the village below, "Whelp.. here we are, Arendelle."

Elsa walked up next to him and glanced down. "Yeah, let's not waste time."

Rhett gave a small nod and started down, somewhat lost in thought.

Elsa moved passed him and lead the way.

As soon as they got back to the castle Rhett paused and looked back at the mountains for a moment before catching up with Elsa, "Don't you think that was an awfully strong storm for this late in the season?"

Elsa paused and gave him a confused look. "No, not really.. I mean... Arendelle is used to unnatural storms..."

He raised an eyebrow at her, "Don't quit your day job, you'd be a poor comedian... anyway.. They were never  _ that  _ strong when I lived out there..."

Elsa shrugged. "Climate change?"

"Eh... could be...." He said as he stopped at the castle doors, opening one for her, "Ladies first."

Elsa gave him a small smile and made her way inside.

Rhett looked around, "Huh... I half expected your sister to be right on top of us as soon as we got in"

Elsa looked up and squinted at the sun. "She's definitely not awake."

"Ah.. I guess we have some time to get something to eat before she wakes up then?" He said tucking the folded up cloak under his arm.

"Are you hungry?" she asked, raising a brow.

He shrugged, "A bit, I wasn't going to just go off and hunt while I was with you, especially with all the wolves and bears around."

Elsa nodded. "Fair point."

Rhett then looked back down to the cape, "Do you want this?" He asked holding it out.

Elsa's eyes widened as she glanced down at it. Then, she shook her head and pushed it away. "No. You keep it. I've already put that day behind me. Besides, I don't need it."

Rhett looked back down at it and nodded, "Alright then. Thanks" he said as a small smile crossed his face. "Er... I'll go ahead and put this in my room then, meet you at breakfast?"

Elsa nodded. "Yeah... I should take a bath first..."

He gave another nod, before heading off, "See you later then!"

“See you later,” she responded and headed to her private quarters, asking after Gerda to start her bath.

Around an hour later, Rhett walked back down to the dining area with a yawn. He'd accidentally fallen asleep on the cape, which now was laid across his bed in a similar fashion to a comforter.

Anna, having just woke up, walked out of her room yawning and stretching her arms only to bump into Rhett.

Rhett gave a small jump of surprise, "Well good morning Anna."

"Oh I'm so sor--oh.. hi Rhett. Where have you been? Have you seen Elsa?"

"Hey, last I heard she was going to take a bath. Not sure if she's out yet though."

"She's in her room now? She wasn't anywhere for an entire  _ day _ ."

"Yeah. We went out towards where I lived to see what else I could turn into, and got caught in a bad storm, so we spent the night in my old den" he said before absentmindedly rubbing his ear, still achy from the skirmish with Creighton.

"You stayed the night in a  _ de _ \-- wait.. what happened to your ear?"

"Well yeah, it was really the only place of shelter we could use. And let's just say we uh... ran into someone..."

Anna raised a brow. "Ran into someone?"

He nodded, "Yeah, don't worry about it though."

"Uh.. huh... if you say so."

"She shouldn't be coming back anytime soon," he said as he started down the hall.

"She-- wait, who?!" Anna exclaimed and followed after him.

"Some 'big game' huntress named 'Creighton'. Apparently my mere presence alone out there scared some farmers, their solution was to get a hold of her so she could kill me. She only found out what I was when we were in my den. She was smart enough to shoot at me from the rain so I couldn't smell her. Guess I was lucky enough to have turned at the right time..."

"So, Arendelle has poachers now?!" Anna growled.

He sighed, "She said she was hired by a farmer... so more of a hired gun..."

"Ugh, great. I hate people, there's nothing wrong with you being here and you're not threatening the farmers!"

"Seemed that the farmer in question was a little late that the 'Dyrnöt' was no longer in his territory.." He said with a small chuckle. "Again, she knew she was looking for a shapeshifter, and didn't know I was the shapeshifter in question until she found us in my den."

"'Us'? Anna asked, raising a brow.

He nodded, "Yeah, we got caught in that big storm last night, so we spent the night in my old den."

Anna's eyes got wide, then a smile crossed her face. "Aww cute!"

Rhett rolled his eyes, "It wasn't like we had anywhere else to use as shelter."

Anna's grin widened.

He gave her a look. "Stop."

"Stop what?"

"You  _ know  _ what I mean..."

"Noooo, I have  _ no _ idea. Are you saying you slept the night with my sister?" she waggled her brows suggestively.

"Not. Like. That," he growled through gritted teeth.

"Are you suuure?" she chuckled. "Nah, I'm just pulling your leg. I know what you meant. It's just so funny seeing you get embarrassed and angry!"

Rhett rolled his eyes. "Whatever," he grumbled, tenderly rubbing his ear before heading down the hallway. He could feel the beginnings of a scab starting to form on the edge of his ear. From what he could tell, Creighton's arrow had taken a chunk out of it, how much he didn't really know, to be fair he didn't care. It'd just be another scar to add to his 'collection'.

Anna followed him. "What happened to your ear? That huntress?"

Rhett gave a small nod in response.

"Do you need to see the infirmary?"

He gently shook his head. "Nah, I'll be fine, I've survived worse," he said with a small smile.

"Okay, well I have some things to do. Bye!" Anna headed off.

"Uh.. okay! Later!" He said waving to her before continuing on his way towards the castle gardens.

After about a half hour, Elsa finished up her bath and changed into a nightgown.

Rhett was in his room, curled up in her coronation cape as he dozed. The softness of the fabric and comforting scent having all but lulled him to sleep.

After her bath, Elsa found herself knocking at Rhett's door.

There was the sound of a yawn mixed in with a growl before a groggy, "Come in..." Rhett had shifted into a saber-tooth and was partially curled up in Elsa's old coronation gown.

Elsa opened the door and made her way in. She assessed the room with wide eyes before they landed on the bed to find a saber tooth on her coronation cape. "Comfortable?"

He nodded and gave a small stretch, his toes splaying out as he did so, "Soft...."

Elsa stopped by the edge of the bed. "That's good. I'm glad you're settling in."

Rhett shook his pelt a bit before looking up at her, a smile on his face. "Thanks, er... despite the rainstorm and that crazy huntress, what'd you think of my old home?" he said motioning to the bed in case she wanted to sit down next to him.

Elsa sat on the edge of the bed. "It was nice. A cozy cave."

A small chuckle escaped his lips. "Never thought I'd ever hear you of all people say that," Rhett said looking up at her.

"Well, for a cave it's cozy."

He stretched again with a massive yawn, his sabers glinting in the soft candlelight before curling against her. A contented sigh escaping the big cat as soon as he was comfortable.

Elsa stiffened for a moment, but relaxed and hesitantly placed a hand on his fur. After a moment, she stroked his mane.

A small smile crossed his face as he felt her hand go through his fur. Before long he was dozing next to her, letting loose a deep purr.

Elsa smiled down at him, still running her hand through his fur. After about ten minutes, she rose from the bed. "Sweet dreams," she murmured before showing herself out of the room.


End file.
